Injuries Weigh Heavily in ATX Open Quarterfinals

Top seed Anhelina Kalinina gave her fans a scare, dropping the first set 1-6 in her quarterfinal bout against #5 seed Diane Perry.  Kalinina rallied to claim the second set 6-4, and advanced to the semifinal by taking the third set 6-2. 

#3 seed Danielle Collins was forced to retire due to a lower back injury sustained in her match against #6 seed Wang Xiyu.  Wang had taken the first set 6-2 before the retirement.   

Kalinina will face Wang in Saturday’s semifinal contest. 

Anastasija Sevastova was force to leave her match against Anna Karolina.  Sevastova took the first set 6-4, and was up 2-1 on a service break  when she injured her knee running down a ball  at the net.  After a medical time-out, she played one point, screaming out in pain, before retiring.  She left the court in a wheelchair. 

And in the last quarterfinal match, #8 seed Yuan Yue defeated Wang Yafan, 6-3, 7-5, in a hard-fought match.

Karolina and Yuan will meet in the second semifinal match. 

And in match of local interest, the doubles team of UT junior Sabina Zeynalova and so-to-be freshman Maya Joint, nearly pulled off the upset against top seed Oksana Kalashnikova and Nadiia Kichenok.  Zeynalova and Joint took the first set 6-3, and Kalashnikova and Kichenok won the second by the same score.  Kalashnikova and Kichenok prevailed in the third set, winning the tie-breaker 11-9.