Meanwhile, top seed Caroline Wozniacki falls in tournament debut
STANFORD, Calif. (www.mubadalasvc.com) – No. 2 Agnieszka Radwanska was one of three seeded players to post a victory on Thursday during the round of 16 at the Bank of the West Classic.
Playing her first match of the tournament, 2015 Wimbledon semifinalist Radwanska rallied for a 1-6, 6-2, 6-0 victory over qualifier Misaki Doi. Trailing 2-0 in the second set, Radwanska blitzed Doi by winning the next 12 games in the first meeting between the two players since 2011.
The tournament debut for No. 1 seed Caroline Wozniacki was a different story, with the former World No. 1 dropping a 6-4, 6-2 decision to Varvara Lepchenko. Wozniacki, who ranks fourth among active players with 23 singles titles, had won all four previous matchups against Lepchenko.
No. 5 seed Angelique Kerber opened the day with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Ana Konjuh. Tied at 3-3 in the second set, Kerber responded by winning the next three games. Last year’s tournament runner-up, Kerber has won both of her first two matches in straight sets while not surrendering more than four games in any frame.
Also advancing to the quarterfinals was No. 4 seed Karolina Pliskova, who defeated 44-year old qualifier Kimiko Date-Krumm 7-5, 6-2. Trailing 5-4 in the first set, Pliskova rallied to win the final three games to seize control of the match. It was a rematch of last year’s opening-round match here at Stanford, which Pliskova also won 6-1, 6-3.
Three doubles matches were contested on Thursday, highlighted by Kateryna Bondarenko and Tatjana Maria upsetting the top-seeded duo of Hao-Ching Chan and Yung-Jan Chan 0-6, 6-2, 10-7.
For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to www.mubadalasvc.com or call 866-WTA-TIXS (866-982-8497).
The Bank of the West Classic, a Premier WTA event, features a 28-player singles draw as well as a 16-team doubles draw. The event is owned and operated by IMG and serves as the opening women's event of the Emirates Airline US Open Series.
The list of past champions of the event reads like a Who's Who of women's tennis including Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andrea Jaeger, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters.
ABOUT THE BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC: The Bank of the West Classic is the longest-running women-only professional tennis tournament in the world and is the first stop of the Emirates Airline US Open Series. Owned and operated by IMG, the WTA Premier event features a 28-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw with total prize money of $731,000. Held on Stanford University’s campus at Taube Family Tennis Stadium since 1997, former champions include: Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andrea Jaeger, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters.