FILE PHOTO: Tennis – WTA Premier – Nature Valley Classic – Edgbaston Priory Club, Edgbaston, Birmingham, Britain – June 21, 2019 Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko in action during her quarter final match against Croatia’s Petra Martic Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine
Sloane Stephens was one of five top-16 seeds sent packing Tuesday at the Nature Valley International at Eastbourne, England.
Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko overcame a poor start and 40 unforced errors while recording a 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 win over the seventh-seeded Stephens. Ostapenko posted 22 winners in the victory.
France’s Alize Cornet registered a 6-3, 7-6 (3) win over fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine is a match that was halted by rain on Monday and completed Tuesday. It marks the first time Cornet has won back-to-back matches since March at Miami.
In other upsets, Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova beat 10th-seeded Belinda Bencic 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-3 of Switzerland; Belgium’s Elise Mertens recorded a 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 triumph over 13th-seeded Czech Marketa Vondrousova, and Germany’s Anna-Lena Friedsam knocked off 16th-seeded Anett Kontaveit of Estonia 6-3, 6-4.
Third-seeded Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands notched a 6-4, 6-1 win over Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva 6-4, 6-1; No. 4 Angelique Kerber of Germany prevailed 6-4, 6-4 over Australia’s Samantha Stosur, and No. 6 Simona Halep of Romania rolled to a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Su-Wei Hsieh of Chinese Taipei.
Eighth-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus recorded a 6-2, 6-3 win over Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek; No. 11 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark was a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Germany’s Andrea Petkovic, and No. 14 Johanna Konta of Great Britain beat Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-4, 7-6 (4).
—Field Level Media
