DEFENDING champion Magdalena Frech suffered a quarter-final exit at the Guadalajara Open after a straight-sets defeat by Czech teenager Nikola Bartunkova.
The 19-year-old Bartunkova secured a 7-5 6-4 victory over the Polish fourth seed in one hour and 38 minutes to advance to her maiden WTA semi-final.
German sixth seed Tatjana Maria also crashed out after falling to French opponent Elsa Jacquemot in a three-set battle that ended 3-6 6-4 6-4.
American 17-year-old Iva Jovic continued her impressive tournament run with a hard-fought 6-3 3-6 7-6(6) quarter-final victory over Andorra’s Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva.
Jovic will now face Bartunkova in the semi-finals following their respective breakthrough performances.
Colombian Emiliana Arango ended Canadian Marina Stakusic’s campaign with a dominant 6-2 6-3 win in their quarter-final encounter.
Stakusic had previously stunned 2017 French Open champion and Latvian third seed Jelena Ostapenko in the round of 16. – Reuters
