TWO seeds fell across a widely predictable day on the WTA Tour, with the two events seeing fairly convincing results across the board.

At the WTA 500 Porsche Tennis Gand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, four world top 10s all proceeded to the quarter finals, with world number two and top seed Simona Halep doing it in style with a 6-1 6-3 sweep of Czech Marketa Vondrousova in just 56 minutes. Vondrousova’s sixth seed compatriot Karolina Pliskova was the only player taken to three sets. Pliskova may have been tested early by Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, but retained control following a 7-6(6) first set deficit to claim the 6-7 6-4 6-3 victory.

Elina Svitolina overcame former world number one and German hopeful Angie Kerber to ensure she made the quarters, escaping the first set tiebreaker to speed through the second set and come away with the 7-6 6-3 victory. Things went even easier for fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka, overcoming another German in Anna-Lena Friedsam in 79 minutes, 6-4 6-2, hitting five aces apiece by controlling proceedings much better to command victory. The remaining match saw the only upset of the day in Germany, as Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova claimed entry into her maiden clay court quarter final, ousting eighth seed Belinda Bencic in the process. The Russian required 81 minutes to carve out her third top 20 win for 2021, hitting 12 aces in the final match of the day to seal the deal, 6-1 7-5.

PORSCHE TENNIS GRAND PRIX ROUND OF 16 RESULTS:

[2] Simona Halep (ROM) defeated Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) 6-1 6-3
[4] Elina Svitolina (UKR) defeated Angelique Kerber (GER) 7-6 6-3
[5] Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) defeated Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) 6-4 6-2
[6] Karolina Pliskova (CZE) defeated Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) 6-7 6-4 6-3
Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) defeated [8] Belinda Bencic (SUI) 6-1 7-5

Meanwhile, at the WTA 250 TEB BNP Paribas Tennis Championship in Istanbul, Turkey, top seed Elise Mertens remains in the hunt for the crown with another win on the board, this time over Swiss talent Viktorija Golubic, although she was certainly forced to fight for the upper hand in the 6-4 4-6 6-1 clash. The second set slip did not appear to worry Mertens though, as she got down to business to lock Golubic away in the third set. Mertens is joined by third seed Veronika Kudermetova in the quarter finals, following the Russian’s clean 6-4 6-3 sweep of Estonian hard-hitter Kaia Kanepi.

Fifth seed Czech Barbora Krejcikova was not quite so lucky though, well and truly overcome by Romanian Ana Bogdan who was relentless in the 6-3 6-3 victory. Whilst Krejcikova served at an excellent 80 per cent efficiency, she failed to really take control or win points off her service games which allowed Bogdan to find a look in and claim the win. The remaining match of the day saw unseeded duo Fiona Ferro and Vera Zvonareva go head-to-head, with the former taking out the win in an inefficient showing from both players. Ferro’s lesser errors paid off however, eventually running away with the 6-3 6-3 win in 89 minutes.

TEB BNP PARIBAS TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP ISTANBUL ROUND OF 16 RESULTS:

[1] Elise Mertens (BEL) defeated Viktorija Golubic (SUI) 6-4 4-6 6-1
[3] Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) defeated Kaia Kanepi (EST) 6-4 6-3
Ana Bogdan (ROM) defeated [5] Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) 6-3 6-3
Fiona Ferro (FRA) defeated Vera Zvonareva (RUS) 6-3 6-3