Defending Champion defeated
Last year’s victor Daniela Hantuchova has fallen to 43 year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-4, 6-0 in the third round of the Aegon Classic.
This takes their head-to-head record to 4-2 to Date-Krumm, with this being her first triumph over Hantuchova on grass.
Speaking after the loss, Hantuchova said: "Going into the match, I felt very confident. I thought, you know, I had those chances early in the beginning of the first set to maybe break her. But after that, she just didn't really give me a chance. I tried everything, and I mean, she was hitting lines, moving well, coming to the net, serving unbelievably well. I thought I was always going to have chances on her serve, but today just everything went her way".
Top seed into final eight
Top seed Ana Ivanovic is through to the Aegon Classic quarter-finals as she defeated American Lauren Davis 6-1, 6-1 in just over an hour. In the final eight the Serbian faces sixth seed Klara Koukalova.
Speaking after her match Ivanovic said: "I just felt the ball really good. I timed it well. I knew she's a player who stays low in the grass and it can work well sometimes, so I really tried to stretch her and come forward. I did that well. I served pretty well. I got her out wide a lot and came in, hit some good volleys".
All-American affair
Third seed Sloane Stephens has beaten fellow American Alison Riske 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-1 to progress to the quarter finals of the Aegon Classic.
During a tight first set neither player managed to capitalise on their break points, with Riske having five chances to Stephens’ two.
And after a strong second set from Riske, twenty one year-old Stephens took the final set easily with some lethal groundstrokes: “I was happy that I was able to pull through the third set and play a really solid one”.
Stephens, who had won against former French Open winner Francesca Schiavone in the previous round, plays ninth seed Shuai Zhang next.
When asked if she feels this is her time to reach a finals for the first time Stephens said: “Keep waiting. Could be. Who knows. Who knows”.
Dellacqua stuns Stosur
Casey Dellacqua has come out on top in the battle of the Aussies beating Samantha Stosur 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.
The twenty-nine year old turned the match around from a set down to win against the second seed in just under two hours.
Before the match Stosur commented: “Grass has always been a surface that I’ve kind of struggled with in the past. It’s not something I find so easily to use my natural weapons I guess."
Dellacqua, who won the doubles alongside Ashleigh Barty in Birmingham last year, will now continue her tilt for the singles title facing Kimiko Date-Krumm in the quarter-finals next.
When asked about her match up the Australian said: “[Kimiko] moves probably better than any of the girls on tour. I know that I'm going to have to play well and execute really good tomorrow. Hopefully I can serve well as well and keep my momentum happening."
Fortune Flips
Fourth seed Kirsten Flipkens came from a set behind last qualifier standing Aleksandra Wozniak to earn her place in the quarter-finals.
Flipkens beat the Canadian 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 after a bout of poor serving in the first set.
The world No.25 will play Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in the next round.
Strycova progresses to quarter-finals
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova has beaten lucky loser Timea Babos 6-2, 0-6, 6-3 in the third round of the Aegon Classic.
After a frustrating second set Strycova said: “I stopped believing myself that I could go through and mentally I was really down. I called my coach and I told him that I couldn't get up. I was also serving really bad. I'm happy that in the third set I won the second game of my serve. It was really important”.
Strycova, who is also playing doubles with partner Kimiko Date-Krumm, said the extra-time on court does not affect her game: “I mean, it is tiring, but I'm happy that I have so many matches. That means I'm winning".
The Czech who has played at the Aegon Classic every five years since 2004 also added she won’t be continuing that pattern: “I'm coming back next year. I have some points to defend, so I will definitely coming next year."