Today's match report: Bai Zhuoxuan advances to the...

【Center Court】
The first match: [Pax turned the tables in adversity, winning two sets in a row to reverse the situation against Jovanovic and advance to the quarterfinals]
In the second round of the singles main draw at the Centre Court, Alycia PARKS and Kaja JUVAN staged a thrilling match. In the first set, PARKS served first. She was off form in the opening stage, making multiple service errors, and JUVAN seized the opportunity to quickly establish an advantage, taking the first set 6-1.
However, Pax did not succumb to the defeat in the first set. In the second set, she adjusted her tactics in time and demonstrated strong performance in both serving and receiving, winning back the set with a lopsided score of 6-1. In the deciding set, Pax continued her hot form and defeated Jovanovic again with a score of 6-1, ultimately achieving a major comeback with a 2-1 victory and successfully advancing to the women's singles quarterfinals.
In the post-match interview, Alicia Parker admitted that she faced many challenges at the end of this season, but her performance of winning two consecutive matches at this Jiangsu Open gave her more confidence to persevere and fully improve her competitive state.

In the second match, [Blinkova defeated sixth-seeded Bondal and advanced to the women's singles quarterfinals after a thrilling two-set battle]
In the round of 16 of the Jiangsu Open women's singles, Anna BLINKOVA and the sixth seed Anna BONDAR staged a high-quality showdown. After a fierce battle lasting 2 hours and 3 minutes, BLINKOVA won 7-6(5), 7-5 in straight sets and successfully advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
The first set was a close contest, with Brinkova narrowly prevailing 7-5 in the tie-break. The second set remained intense, with Brinkova securing a crucial break in the decisive 12th game to clinch the set 7-5. The statistics for both players were extremely close throughout the match, showcasing a high level of competition.
Brinkova performed even better in the second serve, achieving a second serve success rate of 61%, 14 percentage points higher than her opponent. Although her first serve success rate was slightly lower than her opponent's (54% vs. 55%), she was more decisive in seizing break opportunities. Although Bondal maintained a 72% first serve success rate, her serve quality declined at crucial moments, ultimately leading to a regrettable defeat.
With this victory, Blinkova will face the third seed of the tournament, Pax, in the quarterfinals. In the post-match interview, Blinkova specially thanked the audience in Chinese. She was very satisfied with the result of the match, having achieved multiple breaks throughout the game, and expressed her happiness playing in China.
In the first set of the match, Blinkova called for the medical services. After a brief adjustment, she quickly returned to the game. At the post-match press conference, Blinkova said, "It was just a temporary cramp. I felt much better after putting a bandage on my ankle, and it won't affect the upcoming matches."
Brinkova's opponent in the quarterfinals is Alicia Pax, the third seed of the tournament.




In the third match, Bai Zhuoxuan reversed Guo Hanyu in three sets and advanced to the quarterfinals
In a Chinese derby match at the central court, Bai Zhuoxuan and Guo Hanyu staged a "battle of friends" lasting 2 hours and 17 minutes. Despite losing the first set, Bai Zhuoxuan eventually reversed the situation with a 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory and successfully advanced to the singles quarterfinals.
In the first set, Guo Hanyu got off to a fast start, taking the lead with a 6-3 score. The second set saw both players locked in a stalemate, with the score tied at 5-5. Bai Zhuoxuan finally broke in the crucial eleventh game and secured the match point, then held her serve to win the set 7-5 and level the match. In the deciding set, Bai Zhuoxuan continued her momentum, breaking in the third game and securing the victory with a 6-4 score.
Bai Zhuoxuan was significantly better than Guo Hanyu at seizing break point opportunities, successfully converting 6 out of 7 break points, with a high conversion rate of 86%. Although Guo Hanyu had 13 break points, he only converted 6, and his mistakes at crucial moments became the turning point of the match.
This "battle of friends" not only showcased the technical and tactical skills of the two Chinese players, but also reflected their fighting spirit. Bai Zhuoxuan, with her tenacious willpower, completed a comeback, continuing her excellent performance in this tournament. She will face Sarkova in the next round. In the post-match interview, she also stated that she will give her best performance to face the strong opponent.




【C1】
The first match [Three-set thriller: Dominica reverses and advances to the quarterfinals]
In the first match of C1, Dominika made four double-fault errors in the opening set. However, she promptly adjusted her form and controlled the pace of the rallies with her baseline play. In this set, Zakharova converted 100% of her break points, and the match was closely contested, with the score tied at 6-6. In the tie-break, Zakharova made frequent errors, and Dominika seized the opportunity to finally win the opening set through the tie-break.
In the second set, Zakharova kept up the pressure with a first serve success rate of 67% and a return success rate of 62%. Dominika's form declined, with a return success rate of 38%, making it difficult for her to find opportunities to break the game. Under the pressure of Zakharova's serve rhythm, she eventually lost the second set 2-6.
In the deciding set, Dominika followed up her victory with a first serve success rate of 65%, effectively grasping the key break points, and ultimately defeated Zakharova 6-2, successfully advancing to the quarterfinals.




The second match: [Japan's rising star reverses the situation and advances, defeating the fourth seed in a tough three-set match to reach the semifinals of the women's doubles]
In a women's doubles quarterfinal match at the C1 court, the Japanese pair of Ayukawa Mana and Morisaki Kanako staged a thrilling comeback, defeating the fourth-seeded Isabelle Haverlag and Maia Lumsden 2-1 (4-6/6-4/10-8) on aggregate and advancing to the semifinals of the women's doubles.
At the beginning of the match, the more experienced fourth-seeded pair quickly got into their groove and, with their well-coordinated teamwork and stable serve performance, took the lead with a 6-4 victory in the first set. However, the Japanese pair adjusted their tactics in time, frequently employing aggressive net-side interception tactics, successfully disrupting their opponents' rhythm, and clawed their way back to a 6-4 tie, dragging the match into the deciding set.
Facing pressure, Kanagawa Makana/Morisaki Konanzi demonstrated remarkable mental resilience, fully leveraging their advantage of high second-serve scoring rate, and emerging victorious in the crucial points. Ultimately, they secured the victory with a narrow 10-8 margin, advancing to the semifinals with a thrilling 2-1 aggregate score.




The third match [Doubles quarterfinals: an upset! Ovtcharian and partner overcome the second seed and advance to the semifinals]
Ovcharenko/Wibberly-Smith defeated the tournament's second seed, Mladenovic/Piter, with scores of 6-4, 1-6, 10-7, and advanced to the semifinals with a strong performance.
In the first set, Ovtcharian/Wilberley-Smith firmly controlled the pace of the match with their aggressive net play and seamless coordination. They seized the opponent's second serve opportunity in the crucial game to break, and successfully held their serve to win the set 6-4.
The situation in the second set underwent a dramatic change. Meladnovic/Pitter quickly adjusted their tactics, enhancing their serve quality and baseline depth, while Ovcharenko/Webbley-Smith made more errors and slowed down their pace. The seeded pair won six straight games, sweeping the match and tying the score at 6-1.
In the decisive tie-breaker, the competition between the two sides was exceptionally fierce. Ovtcharianko made several crucial volleys at the net, helping the team establish a slight advantage. Ultimately, they seized the opportunity of their opponent's service error at 10-7 to secure the victory, eliminating the second seed with a 2-1 score and securing a spot in the semifinals.
Ovtcharenko and Wilberley-Smith demonstrated through their tenacious performances that seamless coordination in doubles is more crucial than individual rankings. They will face the up-and-coming Japanese duo of Ayukawa Mana and Morisaki Kanako in the semifinals.

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