Anna Blinkova and Ann Li will face each other in the first round of the 2023 ATX Open on Monday, February 27.
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Since her second competition of the season, Anna Blinkova hasn’t triumphed in a match. As a qualifier, she stormed the semifinal of Hobart with five straight-set victories, beating players like Yulia Putintseva and Marie Bouzkova along the way. Lauren Davis defeated the Russian in straight sets to avert what would have been her second career final. It was followed by losses in the first round of her next three competitions, including a retirement due to an injury to her right forearm in Lyon. The 24-year-old has had a very successful last six months overall. In October, she won her first WTA title in Cluj-Napoca and even advanced to the 125K Limoges semifinals.
Ann Li wants to win the WTA main draw for the first time this year. She has spent the majority of the last two months competing in ITF tournaments with varying degrees of success, best reaching the Orlando W25 semifinals. She defeated Nao Hibino in three sets and Ellen Perez this past weekend in order to qualify for Austin. Up until the conclusion of the grass-court swing in the 2022 season, the American managed 10 main draw victories on the tour. Due to a two-month injury break, she was only able to secure one such victory in the second half of the year—against Claire Liu in Tallinn. She was ranked 44th in January 2022; however, she is no longer among the top 180.
| Anna Blinkova vs Ann Li | Match details |
|---|---|
| Date | February 27, 2023 |
| Surface | Hard |
| Tournament | ATX Open |
| Stage | Round of 32 |
| Time (India) | 11:30 pm |
| Time (Austin) | 11 am |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Varvara Gracheva | 7-5, 7-5 (L) |
| Erika Andreeva | Walkover (L) |
| Madison Keys | 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 (L) |
| Lauren Davis | 6-3, 6-3 (L) |
| Yulia Putinseva | 6-3, 6-4 (W) |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Nao Hibino | 1-6, 6-3, 4-6 (W) |
| Ellen Perez | 7-6, 6-2 (W) |
| Sabine Lisicki | 7-6, 6-3 (L) |
| Irina Falconi | 6-3, 6-1 (W) |
| Lulu Radovcic | 4-6, 6-3, 4-6 (L) |
0-0. Anna Blinkova is anticipated to record her first victory in 15 days. The local favourite Ann Li, who will be competing against her, is about to face her first top 100 opponent of the year after finishing the previous one after losing to six of her last eight. It should be obvious that the visitor will be looking ahead.
Anna Blinkova and Ann Li will face each other in the first round of the 2023 ATX Open on Monday, February 27.
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