AS we count down to this year’s Wimbledon Championships, Day 4 of the Viking International Eastbourne competition has seen a mixed bag of stunning upsets and a new wave of young talent showing promising signs of what’s to come for the future of tennis. Meanwhile, Day 3 of the Bad Homburg Open saw some exciting wins and a game between a Spanish rising star and Japanese young gun suspended due to rain.

Belarusian and number two seed Victoria Azarenka claimed an easy victory over compatriot Yuliya Hatouka. It took an hour and seventeen minutes for Azarenka to beat the 21-year-old. Azarenka impressed with 4 aces and won 34 out of 54 total return points (64.8 percent).

Despite winning in the Citi Open in 2019 against Katerina Siniakova, American Jessica Pegula fell short of the win this time around when the pair faced off at Bad Homburg. Third seed Pegula was unable to secure the win against the Czech talent with the scores 6-3 5-7 6-4. Pegula’s American counterpart Amanda Anisimova however saw success with a win against Germany’s Andrea Petkovic.

Top seed Sara Sorribes Tormo was in the midst of a thrilling game against Japan’s Misaki Doi, leading 6-4 2-3, but after 1 hour and 21 minutes the game was suspended by officials.

A record win for Swiss Belinda Bencic occurred at Eastbourne, as the 24-year-old continued her winning streak to take out the win against Croatian Petra Martic in 52 minutes. Meanwhile, it was not Sam Stosur’s day, as Australia’s only participant in the draw and rank 87 player saw defeat against Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic.

Brit Heather Watson and Poland’s Iga Swiatek battled in a lengthy contest lasting two hours and 42 minutes which saw Watson just fall short of the win against the Polish young gun, 6-3 7-6(4) 7-5.

Italian star Camila Giorgi snagged a win against seeded played Karolina Pliskova and so too did Russia’s Daria Kastkina who was victorious in her match after Vera Zvonareva retired.

BAD HOMBURG ROUND OF 16 RESULTS:

[2] Victoria Azarenka (BLR) defeated Yuliya Hatouka (BLR) 7-5 6-0
Katerina Siniakova (CZE) defeated [3] Jessica Pegula (USA) 6-3 5-7 6-4
Amanda Anisimova (USA) defeated Andrea Petkovic (GER) 6-1 7-5
Laura Siegemund (GER) defeated Tamara Korpatsch (GER) 6-2 6-2

[7] Sara Sorribes Tormo (SPA) v. Misaski Doi (JAP) 6-4 2-3 (SUSPENDED)

VIKING INTERNATIONAL EASTBOURNE ROUND OF 32 RESULTS:

[1] Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) defeated Bernarda Pera (USA) 6-3 6-4
[2] Elina Svitolina (UKR) defeated Paula Badosa (ESP) 6-4 6-1 7-6
[3] Bianca Andreescu (CAN) defeated Christina McHale (USA) 6-4 2-6 6-2
Camila Giorgi (ITA) defeated [5] Karolina Pliskova (RUS) 2-6 6-2 6-2
[6] Belinda Bencic (SUI) defeated Petra Martic (CRO) 6-1 6-3
Coco Gauff (USA) defeated [7] Elise Mertens (BEL) 0-6 7-6 7-5
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) defeated [8] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 6-1 6-3
Viktorija Golubic (SUI) defeated Sam Stosur (AUS) 6-2 6-3
Alison Riske (USA) defeated Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) 6-3 6-4
Anett Kontaveit (EST) defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 6-4 3-6 6-3
Daria Kasatkina (RUS) defeated Vera Zvonareva (RUS) 7-5 2-2 RET
Iga Swiatek (POL) defeated Heather Watson (GBR) 6-3 6(4)-7 7-5
Ons Jabeur (TUN) defeated Marketa Vondrousova (RUS) 6-3 7-6
Shelby Rogers (USA) defeated Kiki Bertens (NED) 6-1 7-5
Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) defeated Marta Kostyuk (UKR) 6-1 6-7 6-4
Elena Rybakina (KAZ) defeated Harriet Dart (GBR) 6-2 7-6 6-4