Top seed Ons Jabeur and French Open runner-up Coco Gauff both advanced to the quarterfinals of the Berlin WTA grass court tournament on Thursday.
Tunisian Jabeur saved a set point to snuff out the challenge of 169th-ranked American Alycia Parks 6-2, 7-6 (8) to set up a clash with Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich as she targets a fourth semi-final of the season.
“The second set, she started to play much better, and I had to take my chances when I had the break,” said Jabeur.
“It’s tough, I should have taken my chances when I was serving. I knew if it was gonna be 6-5 it would be really tough for me. But I’m glad I stayed calm afterwards.”
Jabeur, the World No 4, won her first tournament on grass in Birmingham last year before reaching the quarterfinals in Wimbledon.
Eighteen-year-old Gauff, the seventh seed, dominated China’s Wang Xinyu 6-0, 6-4 to set up a clash with Czech seventh seed Karolina Pliskova, a Wimbledon finalist last year.
Berrettini through to quarters
Defending champion Matteo Berrettini needed three sets to see off Denis Kudla as he reached the quarterfinals at the Queen’s Club Championship.
Berrettini won 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 but the victory was anything but straightforward for the 26-year-old.
The Italian fell behind as his American opponent took a…
