At the WTA tournament in Moscow, three teenagers still have the chance to win their first tournament – only one Belarusian stands in the way.
Aliaksandra Sasnovich must therefore save the honour of the Arrivivite in Moscow. And that as a 24-year-old. The other three semi-finalists at the summer tournament in the Russian capital are recruited from the pool of teenagers on the WTA tour.
There is the first Olga Danilova, who only came into the main field as Lucky Loser. However, she got the best out of her second chance, beating top seeded Julia Görges after Kaia Kanepi. 6-3 and 6-3.
Görges may not have had her best day as serve, but the clear result gives the 17-year-old Serb an idea of a bright future. “I knew that Görges had a powerful service,” said Danilovic, who was on the court against a top ten player for the first time in her career. “I was just trying to play the right strokes, fight to the end.”
The second semi-final of the Moscow River Cup will then belong exclusively to two 17-year-olds: Anastasia Potapova and Tamara Zidansek. The Slovenian defeated Laura Siegemund with her own weapons, changed cut and pace and beat the second top player after Daria Kasatkina. And this at their only second appearance in a WTA tournament.
Potapova is more likely to come over a fast drive, the Russian, who started the tournament with a wildcard, lost set one against compatriot Valentyna Ivakhnenko, but finally won confidently with 1:6, 6:3 and 6:2.
Here the single tableau in Moscow