Yanina Wickmayer Upset at UNICEF Open
By Matt Hursh
Photo Credit: Tony Chang
(June 16, 2011) The quarterfinal play at the UNICEF Open in 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands was not kind to the big names on Thursday, leaving the tournament wide open with plenty of opportunity for more unheralded players to gain some much needed momentum going into the grass court championships at Wimbledon.
The 19th-ranked Wickmayer, who was hit in the eye by a ball yesterday, lost the rain-delayed match due to a string of errors.
The first set was decided by one break, as the seventh-seeded Vinci broke her Belgian opponent early in the set to give her a vital advantage. In the second set, the Italian broke serve three times, pushing her ahead in an ugly set of tennis that was delayed due to weather with Vinci leading 3-2.
Vinci now awaits the winner of the match between second-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova and fifth-seeded Dominika Cibulkova, a contest that was also suspended due to rain with Cibulkova leading 3-0 in the decisive third set.
The biggest name remaining in the tournament, the former French Open and U.S. Open champion rallied to take the second set 6-4 after dropping the opening set 7-5 to Cibulkova.
Including qualifying for the tournament, Oprandi has now posted four consecutive straight-set victories in Den Bosch, including her second round victory over top seed and World No. 2 Kim Clijsters.
In her first WTA semifinal appearance of the season, Oprandi will face Croat Jelena Dokic, who knocked off Johanna Larsson 7-6 (2), 6-4 on Thursday.
Due to inclement weather, quarterfinal play will resume in 's-Hertogenbosch on Friday with the completion of the postponed match between Kuznetsova and Cibulkova.