Rakhimova, despite the TBS champion’s refusal, advanced to the quarterfinals. And set a personal record
Alexander Nasonov September 12, 2024, 07:17 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
And Veronica Kudermetova was defeated with her racket in Guadalajara, losing 5-0 in the third set and ruining the Russian derby.
On the night of September 11-12 Moscow time, the second round matches of the WTA-500 tournament in Guadalajara (Mexico) started. Both Russians who made it to the main draw won in the first round. Seventh seed Veronika Kudermetova earned her first win in five matches, and Kamilla Rakhimova pinned her opponent. Read more about these meetings in a separate article.
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Rakhimova made her first start as a title-holder on Wednesday. Her opponent in the round of 16 match was two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, seeded third and thus a first-round bye. Camilla is currently ranked 89th in the WTA rankings, while Azarenka is ranked 19th in the world.
In the first set, both players had chances to serve. But while Rakhimova took advantage of her opportunities, Azarenka did not. The Belarusian missed all five break points. The Russian, who showed 100% execution, only needed two breaks, in the third game and the seventh. In the eighth, Camilla served to win the match: 6-2 in 38 minutes.
The second set lasted only 16 minutes. Azarenka earned only two points in the first three games, double-faulted three times, dropped serve twice and retired 6:2, 3:0 (rebound) in Rakhimova’s favour in 54 minutes. Camilla set a personal best, beating a top 20 WTA player for the first time in her career.
Kudermetova, ranked 42nd in the world, was up against Colombian Maria Camila Osorio-Serrano, who is ranked last in the top 80 of the rankings. At the start of the match, the Colombian led by a break, then the Russian took the initiative, but in the sixth game the score was 3-3. In the tenth game, Osorio-Serrano failed to convert a set point on reception, but in the tie-break she put pressure on her opponent 7:6 (7:5) in 1 hour and 9 minutes.
In the second game, the players exchanged two breaks, at the beginning of the set and in the middle. This time it also ended in a tie-break, in which Kudermetova, after 1-2, won six points in a row: 7-6 (7-2) in 1 hour and 12 minutes.
In the decisive set it seemed that nothing would stop Veronica from achieving success. Especially after the score turned 5:0 in her favor. Kudermetova took her opponent’s serve three times in this segment. And where did it all go after that! The Russian lost seven games in a row, achieving a total of only six rallies during this period. She gave up three games to love. After 5:5, Kudermetova began hitting herself on the head with a racket.
Veronika Kudermetova hits herself with a racket
Photo: Frame from the broadcast.
But this emotional outburst did not help her. In the 12th game, Osorio-Serrano scored the third match point on reception: 7:6 (7:5), 6:7 (2:7), 7:5 in 3 hours and 15 minutes. After the victory, Maria-Kamila could not bear it and burst into tears.
Rakhimova and Osorio-Serrano will face each other in the quarter-finals of the tournament; there will be no Russian derby at this stage.
At the WTA-250 tournament in Monastir (Tunisia), 17-year-old Alina Korneeva, who has recovered from an injury, is continuing to get back into shape. Due to a wrist injury, the young athlete has not played since February. Korneeva failed to qualify for the singles tournament, which took place at the end of last week. In the first match, Alina beat the Polish Martyna Cupa, but in the final she lost to her compatriot Maria Timofeeva.
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On Wednesday, September 11, Korneeva played a doubles match. Her partner in the tournament was Anastasia Zakharova, and our female opponents were Americans Sophie Chan and Alicia Parks, seeded third. In the first set, Korneeva and Zakharova committed six double faults, but that did not prevent them from winning the match. However, at the beginning, they were down 1:3, but in the second half of the set they won the break and in the 12th game they won the match 7:5 in 47 minutes.
In the second set, Korneeva and Zakharova made four more doubles, but even then they won. Their opponents had only one break point in the entire match, and it was at the decisive point, i.e. at 40:40. Alina and Anastasia took someone else’s serve twice and advanced to the quarterfinals 7:5, 6:2 in 1 hour 23 minutes. Next in the rankings are the Algerian-Swiss duo Ines Ibbou/Naima Karamoko.
