Stuttgart (AP) – With a courageous performance, tennis talent Eva Lys caused a big surprise at the clay court tournament in Stuttgart.
On her debut in the main draw of a WTA tournament, the 20-year-old defeated the Swiss Viktorija Golubic, who was around 300 world rankings ahead of her, 5: 7, 7: 5, 7: 5. After more than three hours, the qualifier from the Hamburger Club an der Alster made her second round entry perfect and meets the world number one Iga Swiatek from Poland in the round of 16.
Tamara Korpatsch also made it into the second round. The 26-year-old from Hamburg prevailed against the Italian Camila Giorgi 3: 6, 7: 6 (7: 2), 6: 1. In the round of 16 she will face British US Open winner Emma Raducanu or Australian qualifier Storm Sanders. Korpatsch had briefly moved into the main draw of the high-class clay court tournament as a lucky loser after she had actually been eliminated in the qualification.
Lys played bold and courageous against Golubic. With her powerful forehand she left the world number 38. run and took the lead at the beginning with 4:1 and 5:3. At the end of the first set, the favorite from Switzerland improved and made better use of the weaknesses of the young Germans, who sometimes lacked patience. But Lys fought and used her first set ball to equalize in the second round. The fact that she gave back a 4:2 in the last set did not deter Lys from her path.
Qualifier Natasja Schunk, on the other hand, lost her first round game. The 18-year-old lost 6: 7 (3: 7), 5: 7 against Jelena Rybakina from Kazakhstan, but did well. The world rankings-19. Rybakina played a key role in Kazakhstan’s victory over Germany in the Billie Jean King Cup the previous weekend. She had won in three sets against the German number one, Angelique Kerber, Laura Siegemund gave her no chance.
The northern German, who was born in Kyiv, is 342nd in the world rankings, she had received a wildcard for the qualification of the indoor clay court tournament. Angelique Kerber and Laura Siegemund were still free of play.