Fifth-seeded Tatjana Maria of Germany suffered a surprising defeat in the second round of the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest. She was beaten by World No. 442 Fanny Stollar, a Hungarian player competing on her home turf. Stollar secured a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (6) victory. Throughout the match, Stollar capitalized on six out of 16 break chances, with the most crucial break occurring in the 12th game of the third set. This break prevented Maria from winning the match, resulting in a tiebreak.
In another upset, fourth-seeded Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan was defeated by unseeded American Claire Liu. Liu emerged victorious with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (8). The match showcased a series of streaks, with Liu winning the last two games of the first set and Putintseva initially taking a commanding 5-0 lead in the second set. However, Liu fought back and won the next six games, ultimately leading to a tiebreak to determine the set and match outcome.
Meanwhile, eighth-seeded Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia and Kaja Juvan of Slovenia both secured wins in their matches on Wednesday.
In the 34 Palermo Ladies Open, second-seeded Qinwen Zheng of China faced off against France’s Diane Parry in the second round. Zheng emerged victorious with a score of 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. The match lasted two hours and 48 minutes, with Parry experiencing an untimely service break at 5-5 in the third set, allowing Zheng to serve for the win.
Seventh-seeded Emma Navarro of the United States advanced to the next round with a convincing 6-2, 6-1 victory over Italy’s Camilla Rosatello. Navarro showcased her dominance by winning 85.3 percent of her first-serve points. Additionally, Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain secured a 6-3, 6-2 win against Nuria Brancaccio of Italy, while France’s Clara Burel defeated Cristina Bucsa, another Spanish player, with a score of 6-2, 6-4.
In conclusion, the Hungarian Grand Prix and the 34 Palermo Ladies Open witnessed several surprising results and impressive performances from both seeded and unseeded players.
