RUSSIAN rising star, Anastasia Gasanova has shocked third seed Czech Karolina Pliskova, claiming her first ever Top 100 victory with a 6-2 6-4 triumph in the Round of 32 at the Abu Dhabi WTA 500 event. Gasanova had no troubles knocking off the former world number one, having come through qualifying and then toppling former Top 25 German, Mona Barthel in the first round. Ranked 261st in the world, Gasanova is playing her first ever WTA Tour main draw event, having only reached qualifying in non-ITF events previously.

“It was not me on the court,” Gasanova said post-match. “I was so sure of myself. “I’m really happy right now. “I’m really surprised, but when I woke up today, I thought, ‘Why not? Why can’t I win this match? “Actually, I thought I would lose in qualies or something like that, but I just kept pushing myself, like, I need to win and I want to win.”

Gasanova now advances through to the third round where she takes on unseeded Spaniard, Sara Sorries Tormo who needed three sets to take down unseeded American Bernarda Pera, 5-7 6-3 6-4. The Russian was not the only underdog Russian to advance into the Round of 16, as Daria Kasatkina did not need to take the court with 12th seed Czech Karolina Muchova retiring pre-game, as Veronika Kudermetova knocked off Italian Bianca Turati 6-2 6-1. The fourth Russian through to the third round was Ekaterina Alexandrova, as the 17th seed booked a place following a three-set epic against Great Britain’s Heather Watson, 7-5 6-7 6-3.

Victories to the other unseeded players in Marta Kostyuk and Tamara Zidansek – who defeated 11th seed Jennifer Brady in the first round – meant the third quarter of the Abu Dhabi draw completely seedless with one of Kostyuk, Zidansek, Sorribes Tormo or Gasanova to reach the semi-finals. Similarly, Spaniard Paula Badosa now faces Kudermetova in another unseeded Round of 16 meeting, with the winner to lock horns with either Alexandrova or second seed Elina Svitolina.

The Ukrainian broke the trend of successful Russians, knocking off veteran Vera Zvonareva in straight sets, 6-4 6-1. The winner of the Svitolina-Alexandrova match will be the sole seed in the second half of the draw. It is a much different story in the top half of the draw, with Kasatkina the sole unseeded player, now set to face Kazakhstan rising star, Elena Rybakina. The talented youngsters defeated China’s Wang Xiyu 6-4 6-4 to book her place in the Round of 16, and the winner of the third round match to face an in-form player of 2020.

Aryna Sabalenka has not lost any form from her remarkable end to 2020, rolling well into double-figures with 12 consecutive wins and two titles in her wake. The powerful Belarusian took down a plucky Ajla Tomljanovic 7-5 6-4 to now face Tunisian Ons Jabeur. The 15th seed had a it more to do, defeating Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko in a come-from-behind victory, 5-7 6-3 6-2 to book her spot in the Round of 16.

Meanwhile in other results, top seed Sofia Kenin survived a scare against Belgian Kirsten Flipkens, with the latter forced to retire leading 7-5 4-5 in their Round of 32 match. Now Kenin takes on Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva who dispatched Czech Barbora Krejcikova 6-4 7-5. In the last third round matchup, fifth seed Garbine Muguruza will lock horns with ninth seed Maria Sakkari. Muguruza proved too strong for Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-1 6-4, while Sakkari held off teen sensation Coco Gauff, 7-5 6-2.

All the Round of 16 matches will be played tomorrow.

ABU DHABI ROUND OF 32 RESULTS:

[1] Sofia Kenin (USA) defeated Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 5-7 5-4 RET
[2] Elina Svitolina (UKR) defeated Vera Zvonareva (RUS) 6-4 6-1
Anastasia Gasanova (RUS) defeated [3] Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 6-2 6-4
[4] Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) defeated Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) 7-5 6-4
[5] Garbine Muguruza (ESP) defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) 6-1 6-4
[6] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) defeated Xiyu Wang (CHN) 6-4 6-4
[9] Maria Sakkari (GRE) defeated Coco Gauff (USA) 7-5 6-2
Daria Kasatkina (RUS) defeated [12] Karolina Muchova (CZE) 0-0 RET
[13] Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) defeated Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) 6-4 7-5
[15] Ons Jabeur (TUN) defeated Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 5-7 6-3 6-2
[17] Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) defeated Heather Watson (GBR) 7-5 6-7 6-3
Marta Kostyuk (UKR) defeated Su-Wei Hsieh (TAI) 6-3 6-7 6-3
Paula Badosa (ESP) defeated Alize Cornet (FRA) 6-4 6-4
Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP) defeated Bernarda Pera (USA) 5-7 6-3 6-4
Tamara Zidansek (SLO) defeated Leylah Fernandez (CAN) 6-4 6-4
Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) defeated Bianca Turati (ITA) 6-2 6-1

Picture credit: Getty Images