Anastasia Gasanova stuns Karolina Pliskova in Abu Dhabi in maiden WTA main draw appearance
ByReuters
Updated 09/01/2021 at 16:27 GMT
The 21-year-old qualifier Gasanova, ranked 292nd, had won her first-ever tour-level match in the opening round of the WTA 500 event to set up the clash with Czech Pliskova in her first meeting with a top 100 player. She stormed to victory once again, taking little over an hour to knock out the world number six.
Anastasia Gasanova
Image credit: Getty Images
Russian qualifier Anastasia Gasanova, who made her maiden WTA main draw appearance this week, could barely believe what she achieved on Saturday after breezing past former world number one Karolina Pliskova in the second round in Abu Dhabi.
But Gasanova, whose goal is to break into the top 200 this year, took just 72 minutes to secure a 6-2 6-4 victory against Pliskova.
"It was not me on the court," Gasanova told reporters amid continuous giggles.
"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 qualifiers or something like that, but I just kept pushing myself, like, I need to win and I want to win."
Gasanova will next play Spain's 66th ranked Sara Sorribes Tormo in the last 16.
WATSON, GAUFF KNOCKED OUT
British number two Heather Watson was knocked out in a three-sets defeat to Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova.
The 17th seed Alexandrova won 7-5 6-7 (7-9) 6-3 after more than two-and-a-half hours on court.
Alexandrova will play Elina Svitolina in the third round.
Coco Gauff, 16, has also been knocked out. She lost to world number 22 Maria Sakkari in straight sets 7-5, 6-2.
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