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This week's main tennis action is reserved for New York, with 128 players battling for the second-biggest WTA title of the season. There's another event with a massive draw of 128 competitors many miles towards the east, a highly unlikely one for the $125K level!
Lower-ranked players have been battling on the clay courts at the Prague Open, with thrilling action on all possible courts and quarter-finals scheduled for Friday. The 18th seed Kristina Kucova took down Francesca Jones 6-0, 6-2 in an hour and 16 minutes for the best result since spring 2019.
Kucova had the upper hand against a teenager, dropping 16 points in seven service games and fending off two out of three break chances. The Briton landed 77% of the first serve in but that gave her nothing, getting broken six times from 12 opportunities offered to Kucova, finishing her journey in the quarters.
The Czech grabbed all three breaks in the opener for a bagel, racing into a 3-0 lead in set number two to rattle off nine straight games. Kristina secured another break in game seven and sealed the deal on own serve to reach the semi-final.
Competing for the first time since the US Open 2019 and many injuries, Ivana Jorovic is back in action, defeating the 27th seed Cagla Buyukakcay 6-3, 6-3 in an hour and 48 minutes. It was their third match and the second win for Ivana who defended eight out of ten break points to limit the damage in her games.
The Serb won over half of the return points, stealing Cagla's serve five times to seal the deal in straight sets and remain on the title course. Jorovic saved all six break chances in the opening two service games, breaking Buyukakcay twice to forge a 4-0 advantage.
The Turk pulled one break back in game five and missed more opportunities in game seven before Ivana sealed it with a hold in game nine for a 6-3.
Four players are left in contention for the title in Prague.
The second set was more fluid and Jorovic grabbed three breaks to control the scoreboard, securing a break at 15 at 5-3 to reach the semis.
The 12th seed Nadia Podoroska toppled Marina Melnikova 6-2, 6-2 in 70 minutes, dropping 14 points in eight service games and repelling all three break chances to mount the pressure on the other side of the net. Melnikova was nowhere near that pace, suffering two breaks in each set to propel the rival over the finish line in no time at all.
The 2nd seed Elisabetta Cocciaretto overpowered Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 in two hours. The Italian couldn't find the range in the opener, losing only 15 points behind the initial shot in the rest of the clash and dominating the return games in sets two and three to stay in contention for the title.