Thursday was a day of catch-up in Hua Hin following Wednesday’s rain, and among the winners to reach Friday’s quarter-finals at the Thailand Open 2 was Nadia Podoroska, who upset 2nd-seeded Katerina Siniakova, 6-3 6-3, while other seeded players to make their way to the exit door were Wang Xinyu, at No 3, toppled by Rebeka Masarova, 7-6(3) 4-6 7-6(1), Magda Linette, the 4th seed, beaten by Rebecca Sramkova, 7-6(5) 6-4, 6th-seeded Katie Volynets defeated by Tamara Zidansek, and Varvara Gracheva, after the No 8 seed gave Jana Fett a walkover.
Elsewhere, ongoing rain in Seoul washed out all of Friday’s play at the Hana Bank Korea Open, forcing organisers to postpone all of the singles quarter-finals, including the one between Emma Raducanu and Daria Kasatkina, as well as both doubles semi-finals until Saturday, which now are scheduled to be followed by the singles semi-finals.
Back in Hua Hin, Podoroska maintained her perfect record over Siniakova, improving to 3-0 against the Czech to reach her first tour-level quarter-final of 2024.
The Argentine now has posted two Top 50 career wins since 2021, both this year, and both over Siniakova.
Masarova then held off Wang Xinyu, from China, after 3 hours and 7 minutes, including an 8-deuce final game, before sealing the match on her 4th match point
The Spaniard needed 2 hours and 51 minutes to get past her 1st-round opponent, Anna Bondar from Hungary, and had to save a set point in the first set against Wang, who made a late charge from 1-5 down to level at 5-5 in the decider.
Sramkova downed Poland’s Linette, the 2020 champion, to reach her second WTA quarter-final in as many weeks, and the Slovakian now will meet Fett from Croatia, a beneficiary of Gracheva’s withdrawal.
The result levelled Sramkova’s head-to-head with Fett at 2 wins apiece.
Japan’s Mai Hontama, who upset top-seeded Dayana Yastremska from Ukraine on Tuesday, advanced with a 2-6 6-4 6-1 win over local Thai wild-card, 20-year old Lanlana Tararudee and, in the Last 8, she will meet Arienne Hartono, from the Netherlands, who got past fellow qualifier, Gao Xinyu from China, 6-1 4-6 6-2.
Completing the quarter-final line-up was Zidansek from Slovenia, a 3-6 6-4 6-4 upset winner over Volynets to make her first WTA Last 8 appearance since Lausanne 2023.
Zidansek battled back from a set down to avenge her loss to Volynets in the first 2024 edition of Hua Hin, 9 months ago, after a 2 hour 37 minute battle in the last match of the Day 4.
Monastir finalist Rebecca Sramkova came from a set down to defeat Jana Fett and advance to her second WTA semi-final in as many weeks.
WTAtennis.com
Friday’s quarter-finals saw Zidansek back on court in the first match of Day 5, saving 4 match points to win a second marathon over Podoroska after 3 hours and 41 minutes, the 4th longest match of 2024.
In a clash of former Roland Garros semi-finalists, Zidansek came from a set and a break down to defeat the Argentine, saving triple match point when trailing 5-4 in the decider, and then another one when down 6-5.
In the semi-final on Saturday, Zidansek will face Sramkova after the Monastir finalist came from a set down to defeat Fett, 4-6 6-4 6-1, in 2 hours and 9 minutes, to advance to her second WTA semi-final in as many weeks.
Dutch qualifier Hartono went the distance against Hontama, 4-6 6-2 6-3, to make her first WTA semi-final, coming from a set down after 2 hours and 15 minutes, and improving her record to 2-1 overall against the Japanese.
In the last singles match on Friday, Germany’s Laura Siegemund passed the Masarova test to make it into the semi-finals to face Hartona for a place in Sunday’s final.
Siegemund came from a break down in the second set to take down the Spaniard, 6-3 6-4, in 2 hours 9 minutes, and advances to her first tour-level semi-final since Warsaw 2023.
Laura Siegemund passed the Rebeka Masarova test to make it into the semi-finals and will face qualifier Arienne Hartona for a place in Sunday’s final.
WTAtennis.com
