Barbora to face British ace in fight for last four
HARRIET Dart will take on former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova at the LTA’S Rothesay Classic in Birmingham as the draw continues to open up at Edgbaston Priory Club.
Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto won her second successive match against a former slam champion yesterday, backing up victory over Jelena Ostapenko in round one with a 6-4 6-2 win over former US Open champion Sloane Stephens.
Earlier in the day, two-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist Ajla Tomljanovic, of Australia, showed her grass-court pedigree as she battled into the last eight.
Up against world No.54 Lin Zhu, Tomljanovic came from a set down to win 6-7 (6) 6-1 6-4 to reach the last eight.
Dart will be the main attraction today, taking on Krejcikova after she overcame Moyuka Uchijama in her opening match.
Following that success, she said: “I’m really pleased to get through with the win, she had two matches on these courts already so I knew it was going to be a really tough match. “It’s great to be back in Birmingham, I’m a bit sad that it’s the last year that we’re going to be having a WTA here, I always loved the club feel.
“Lots of people come and watch and also lots of kids and it was nice that a lot of my family came.” Meanwhile, former grand slam champions Emma Raducanu, Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber have all been awarded wild cards for Wimbledon. Raducanu will return to the All England Club, where she made her breakthrough by reaching the fourth round in 2021, for the first time in two years following wrist and ankle surgery last year. The former US Open champion reached the semi-finals of the Rothesay Open in Nottingham last week in an encouraging start to her grass-court campaign.
Former world number ones Osaka and Wozniacki will both play in the main draw at Wimbledon for the first time in five years after becoming mothers.
For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website
It’s great to be back, I’m a bit sad it’s the last year we’re going to be having a WTA here. I always loved the club feel. Barbora Krejcikova