Magdalena Rybarikova’s Wimbledon preparations suffered a blow after the Slovakian was on Wednesday ousted by unseeded Belgian Mona Barthel in the second round of the Nature Valley Open in Nottingham, England.
Rybarikova, 29, a semi-finalist at Wimbledon last year, fell to a shock 3-6, 6-1, 5-7 defeat by Barthel, who is to face either defending champion Donna Vekic or Belarusian Vera Lapko in the quarter-finals.
Third-seeded Naomi Osaka of Japan recorded a dominant 6-3, 6-2 win over the Czech Republic’s Denisa Allertova in a little more than an hour to reach her first WTA quarter-final on grass and is next to take on rising Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu.
Buzarnescu had her best ever Grand Slam run at the French Open earlier this month, where she reached the last 16, and continued her good form by beating American Irina Falconi 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in the second round.
Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic strolled to a 6-4, 6-3 win over Poland’s Magdalena Frech to book a quarter-final berth against the winner of an all-British showdown between Johanna Konta and Heather Watson, which was scheduled for yesterday.
Australian top seed Ashleigh Barty yesterday was also to be in action as she battles against China’s Duan Yingying for a quarter-final berth.
In doubles action, fourth seeds Chan Hao-ching of Taiwan and Laura Robson of Britain crashed to a 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/1) defeat by unseeded Falconi and Australia’s Lizette Cabrera in the last 16.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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