Duels and Dominance

The ATX Open quarterfinals are set after Thursday’s action which started off with tight battles but ended with decisive victories. 

In the opening match, Anna-Lena Friedsam outlasted 18-year-old Erika Andreeva for a 7-5, 6-7(2), 7-6(8) victory in three hours and 11 minutes.

Friedsam was twice within two points of the win during the 12th game of the second set, however, Andreeva held her serve to force a tie-break that she would win going away. 

Andreeva gained the first lead in the third set with a break to go up 4-2, but the 18-year-old was broken when serving for the match with a 5-3 lead, and the match ultimately came down to the final set tie-break. 

Friedsam opened up a 6-4 lead in that tie-break, but Andreeva battled back to have her own match point at 8-7. Ultimately. three straight points sealed the match for the German, who has now reached back-to-back WTA quarterfinals after doing so in Linz, Austria, three weeks ago. 

Eighth seed Marta Kostyuk also needed three sets but rallied quickly after dropping the second for a 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 win. 

This is the third quarterfinal of 2023 for the 20-year-old, having previously reached this round in Hua Hih, Thailand and Adelaide, Australia. 

Danielle Collins dominated an all-American battle against Caty McNally, moving on with a 6-1, 6-1 win in just 67 minutes.

Collins, the 2022 Australian Open finalist, was the first player to commit to play the inaugural ATX Open. This is her second quarterfinal of the 2023 season. 

McNally arrived into Austin Monday after reaching the singles semifinals and winning the doubles title last week in Mérida, Mexico. 

Anna Kaslinskaya was even more efficient, needing just 57 minutes to get past Coco Vandeweghe 6-3, 6-1. This is Kalinskaya’s first quarterfinal since last October in Guadalajara. 

On Friday, Friedsam will take on Kostyuk, and Collins is set to face Kalinskaya. The other two quarterfinals will feature Varvara Gracheva vs Sloane Stephens and an all-American match between Katie Volynets and local favorite Peyton Stearns.