Emma Navarro advanced to the Cymbiotika San Diego Open quarterfinals on Thursday night after defeating Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. This is Navarro’s 14th victory of the year.
The No. 3 seed had defeated Siniakova in the second round of the Dubai tournament, making it his second victory against the Czech in as many weeks.
“She’s obviously a great player, always puts up a great fight,” Navarro, who won her maiden WTA singles championship in Hobart earlier this year, said of her opponent. “She’s super talented and made it really tough on me a couple of weeks ago in Dubai and again here tonight. I struggled a little bit from time to time, but I’m happy with the win.”
For the second consecutive year, the former University of Virginia player and 2021 NCAA singles champion is in the final eight in San Diego. She will play Australian qualifier Daria Saville on Friday, so she won’t have much time to rest. Navarro, meanwhile, claims that the swift reversal hasn’t phased her.
“I love the grind,” she declared. “I love to compete and come out on back-to-back days, putting my best foot forward.”
Anna Blinkova, 25, is quickly becoming used to spectacular comebacks. She most recently overcame fifth seed Dayana Yastremska, 7-6(6), 6-2, after trailing 2-5 in the opening set. The 51st-ranked baseliner stunned world No. 4 Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open in January, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(20), in a match that featured the longest tiebreak in Grand Slam history by notably saving six match points. She overcame a set and break down earlier this week in San Diego to overcome former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki.
“In the beginning, she was playing great tennis. Very aggressive, very fast. I was late all the time. I was making mistakes because I was late. She was making winners all over the court,” Blinkova remarked as she advanced to her first 2024 quarterfinal. “I just kept on fighting. I was trying to find solutions. I tried to change the trajectory a little bit.”
As a result of her efforts, Blinkova was matched against American top seed Jessica Pegula, with whom she has lost both two of her matches.
Donna Vekic is still on course to make it back to the San Diego final. The seventh-seeded Croatian, who finished second in this tournament in 2022, advanced after defeating the youngest woman still in the draw, 19-year-old Canadian qualifier Marina Stakusic, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, in two hours. The next person she will face is Katie Boulter of Britain.
In the middle of gusting gusts, Vekic recorded 27 victories to 25 unintentional errors. “It was an interesting match,” he added. “The conditions were tough. I don’t think I’ve framed so many forehands in my life, but I’m really happy to be through. She played an amazing match, fighting until the end.”
After leading Canada to its first-ever Billie Jean King Cup victory the previous year, Stakusic became a national hero. This was only her second main-draw participation on the tour.
