Alycia Parks, rated number 51 in the world, will play Rebecca Peterson, of Sweden, who is ranked number 140, in the second round of the 2023 WTA Merida Open on Friday.
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Peterson defeated Nadia Podoroska of Argentina in straight sets in a match that lasted less than an hour and a half to advance to the second round. Peterson, whose ranking has plummeted, had previously qualified for the main draw here by winning a few qualifying matches. She was competing in her first WTA main draw match of the year. She overcame Podoroska’s service break-back in both sets before scoring more breaks to win 6-3, 7-5. Peterson started the year in the world rankings at position 119, but after losing in the first round of the Australian Open qualifying and not competing in any further WTA tournaments, she dropped to position 145. Peterson did reach the Orlando ITF competition’s finals to aid in her form and rankings, but a victory in the opening round could serve as the true confidence booster. Can she now complete a hat trick?
Although Alycia Parks is still just starting out in her career, it may not have come as a huge shock to see her lose in the opening round of the Linz Open after just two days earlier, when she had won the Lyon Open title by defeating Caroline Garcia in the championship match. Lucky for Parks, she was able to move past her loss against Anhelina Kalinina in Linz and begin this match with a victory. The fact that Fernanda Contreras Gomez made her life on the court so tough and that the first-round match could have gone other way is a different matter. Parks ultimately prevailed 7-6 (7), 3-6, 7-5 to advance to the next round after blowing four set-points in the first set. Two hours and 37 minutes passed during the game. Parks outperformed Gomez throughout the match thanks to her perseverance under pressure, which resulted in the saving of eight break points. However, she only had two chances to break her opponent’s serve, and she only succeeded in doing so once. Can she now defeat the seasoned but ill-prepared Peterson in round two?
| Alycia Parks vs Rebecca Peterson | Match details |
|---|---|
| Date | February 24, 2023 |
| Surface | Hard |
| Tournament | Merida Open |
| Stage | Round of 16 |
| Time (India) | 02:30 am |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Nadia Podoroska | 6-3, 7-5 (W) |
| Carol Zhao | 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 (W) |
| Diana Parry | 6-1, 7-6 (W) |
| Kimberly Birrell | 3-6, 0-6 (L) |
| Sabine Lisicki | 6-7, 7-6, 6-2 (W) |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Fernanda Gomez | 7-6, 3-6, 7-5 (W) |
| Anhelina Kalinina | 2-6, 5-7 (L) |
| Carolina Garcia | 7-6, 7-5 (W) |
| Maryna Zanevska | 6-3, 7-6 (W) |
| Danka Kovinic | 7-5, 6-2 (W) |
Alycia Parks leads 1-0. They met in the final of 125K Andorra in December of last year. The American, who had never won a title above W25 level until that point, prevailed 6-1, 6-4 after saving both breakpoints. Rebecca Peterson will be wary as she tries to forget her 0-6 record in WTA last-16 matches in the 2022 season.
Alycia Parks and Rebecca Peterson will take on each other in the round of 16 of the 2023 ATP Merida Open on February 24.
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