Andreescu, Zakharova to face off
Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu of Canada will face Russia’s Anastasia Zakharova in the last 16 of the Thailand Open in Hua Hin today.
Top seed Andreescu, who is ranked No.42 in the world, defeated No.104 Harriet Dart of Britain 6-3, 6-4 in 83 minutes in the first round of the WTA International Series event on Tuesday night.
Andreescu, who won the US Open title in 2019, is up against world No.96 Zakharova for a place in the quarterfinals today.
The Russian saw off world No.92 Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of the Slovak Republic 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
In yesterday’s action, world No.54 Lin Zhu needed more than two hours to beat South Korea’s Jang Su-Jeong 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) in the last 16 round.
Lin is the first player to qualify for the last eight of the 2023 Thailand Open.
World No.81 Wang Xinyu, another Chinese player, defeated Sweden’s Mirjam Bjorklund 6-3, 6-3.
In other first round matches, fifth seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine rallied to beat Taiwan’s Liang En-shuo 6-7 (7/9), 6-3, 6-0.
The Ukrainian will face Japan’s Nao Hibino in the second round.
Lesia Tsurenko, another player form Ukraine, defeated Belgium’s Ysaline Bonaventure 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
Russia’s Dayana Yastremska, the 2019 Thailand Open winner, will meet Germany’s Tatjana Maria in the last 16 after defeating Moyuka Uchijima of Japan 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2.
World No.51 Linda Fruhvirtova of the Czech Republic sealed a comfortable 6-3, 6-1 win over American Bethanie Mattek-Sands of 6-3, 6-1.
The tournament is making a return after being called off for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The ongoing edition offers a total purse of US$250,000.
RESULTS Second round
Lin Zhu (CHN) beat Jang Su-Jeong (KOR) 6-4, 7-6 (8/6); Wang Xinyu (CHN x7) beat Mirjam Bjorklund (SWE) 6-3, 6-3
First round
Bianca Andreescu (CAN x1) beat Harriet Dart (GBR) 6-3, 6-4; Anastasia Zakharova (RUS) beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3; Marta Kostyuk (UKR x5) beat Liang En-shuo (TPE) 6-7 (7/9), 6-3, 6-0; Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) beat Ysaline Bonaventure (BEL) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4; Dayana Yastremska (UKR) beat Moyuka Uchijima (JPN) 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2; Linda Fruhvirtova (CZE) beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) 6-3, 6-1