Paraguayan Verónica Cepede, number 82 on the world list, confirmed her good level of play and was placed in the quarterfinals of the Mexican Open tennis by defeating the Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu 7-6 (3), 6-1.
Faced with the fifth seed, Cepede came out without complexes and forced the decision of the first set in a sudden death that won 7-3, after breaking the service of his rival early and increasing the advantage to win 6-1.
In the stage of the eight best, Cepede will face the Australian Daria Gavrilova, third seed, winner 7-5, 6-3 of the Mexican Renata Zarazúa.
Cepede’s victory made her the only Latin American in the top eight phase after Puerto Rican Olympic champion Monica Puig was eliminated by Rebecca Peterson from Switzerland, with a score of 6-1, 6-4.
Puig was never comfortable. Faced with the rival’s arrival in the qualifying tournament, the Caribbean woman had no answers, suffered a break at the beginning of the first round and never recovered, even though she improved in the second.
«She played well, but I couldn’t get my best tennis and it is disappointing; I hoped to go further, “said Puig.
This Wednesday the American Slane Stephens, first seeded, rose from a first set against and beat the Dutch Arantxa Rus 5-7, 7-6 (6) 6-0.
The European started better and after winning the opening heat in the second she forced the tie break in which she was close to victory but failed at the good hour and was reached. It was a psychological blow that brought her down and allowed Stephens to grow, who broke three times in a row in the final set.
In the quarterfinals the North American will face the Swiss Stefanie Voegele, who defeated the Greek Maria Sakkari 6-3, 6-4.
French Kristina Mladenovic, second favorite and fourteenth on the world list, had to come from behind to defeat Brazilian Beatriz Hadda 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 and went to the quarterfinals, a phase in which she will play against Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko, defending monarch, who defeated Australia’s Arina Rodionova 6-3, 6-1. EFE
Faced with the fifth seed, Cepede came out without complexes and forced the decision of the first set in a sudden death that won 7-3, after breaking the service of his rival early and increasing the advantage to win 6-1.
In the stage of the eight best, Cepede will face the Australian Daria Gavrilova, third seed, winner 7-5, 6-3 of the Mexican Renata Zarazúa.
Cepede’s victory made her the only Latin American in the top eight phase after Puerto Rican Olympic champion Monica Puig was eliminated by Rebecca Peterson from Switzerland, with a score of 6-1, 6-4.
Puig was never comfortable. Faced with the rival’s arrival in the qualifying tournament, the Caribbean woman had no answers, suffered a break at the beginning of the first round and never recovered, even though she improved in the second.
«She played well, but I couldn’t get my best tennis and it is disappointing; I hoped to go further, “said Puig.
This Wednesday the American Slane Stephens, first seeded, rose from a first set against and beat the Dutch Arantxa Rus 5-7, 7-6 (6) 6-0.
The European started better and after winning the opening heat in the second she forced the tie break in which she was close to victory but failed at the good hour and was reached. It was a psychological blow that brought her down and allowed Stephens to grow, who broke three times in a row in the final set.
In the quarterfinals the North American will face the Swiss Stefanie Voegele, who defeated the Greek Maria Sakkari 6-3, 6-4.
French Kristina Mladenovic, second favorite and fourteenth on the world list, had to come from behind to defeat Brazilian Beatriz Hadda 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 and went to the quarterfinals, a phase in which she will play against Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko, defending monarch, who defeated Australia’s Arina Rodionova 6-3, 6-1. EFE