Last year’s Roland Garros champion and number 5 seed Jelena Ostapenko cruised past Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-1 6-2 to reach the quarter final at the Nature Valley International in Eastbourne.
Buzarnescu, who reached the final in Birmingham last week and beat Jelena Ostapenko in Doha last week, received a medical time-out to treat a shoulder injury.
Ostapenko earned her first break in the second game to take a 2-0 lead at deuce. Buzarnescu broke straight back in the third game. Ostapenko went up a double break in the fourth and sixth games to close out the first set 6-1.
Ostapenko went up a double break to open up a 4-1 lead. Buzarnescu pulled one of the breaks back to claw her back to 2-4, but Ostapenko sealed the win with another break and a hold of serve at deuce in the final game to seal the second set 6-2.
Ostapenko hit 24 winners to 17 unforced errors and converted six of her nine break points to set up a quarter final against Agnieszka Radwanska, who received a walkover to advance to the quarter final after Petra Kvitova pulled out of the match due to a harmstring injury.
Ostapenko met Radwanska just once at the 2016 Connecticut Open, where the Pole prevailed in straight sets.
“It was another great match for me. I played well and served well. Some moments were tough because she can can be so solid and not miss anything, but I am very pleased with the game I played today. Buzarnescu has been playing well this season. I played against her in Doha and learned a lot from that match. I prepared well for this one, and tried to play aggressively today”, said Ostapenko.
Ostapenko, who won the Wimbledon Junior title in 2014, lost to five-time champion Venus Williams in two tough sets in the quarter finals at the All England Club.
“It’s my first event on grass this year. I enjoy my time on grass because it’s so nice. I am enjoying my week in Eastbourne and I am looking to my next week”, said Ostapenko.
Defending champion and former world number 1 Karolina Pliskova beat her compatriot Barbora Strycova 6-3 6-4 after surviving a two-set battle.
Pliskova led 3-1 in their previous four head-to-head matches, but Strycova beat her countrywoman at Eastbourne in 2016 and pushed her to three sets at last January’s Australian Open.
Pliskova and Strycova traded breaks in the fourth and fifth games of the first set, but Pliskova reeled off six consecutive games to build up a set and double break lead at 6-3 3-0. Strycova pulled one of the breaks back in the fourth game and earned three break point chances as she was trailing 3-4. Strykova saved two match points and managed to hold her serve at deuce, but Pliskova served out for the match with an ace. Pliskova will face Aryna Sabalenka, who clinched two consecutive upset wins against Julia Goerges and Elise Mertens.
“Even though it was 6-3 6-4, I don’t think it was easy, she played some tricky shots and slices, so it’s always tough on grass. I am glad I got through. I feel much better now tahn last week in Birmingham. I am happy it’s improving match by match. Hopefully tomorrow will be even better. I think I can serve better than I did today, but today was enough, so hopefully I can improve. I don’t feel any pressure here because I played a final one year, won the title the next. I feel good at this tournament. Every year I play good tennis. I love to play here and I enjoy the city. People always come to support me, which is amazing. Hopefully I can stay longer”, said Pliskova.
