The Guadalajara Open Akron saw a surprising turn of events on Thursday as both top seeds were eliminated from the tournament. Elsa Jacquemot stunned the No. 1 seed, Elise Mertens, while Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva took down the No. 2 seed, Veronika Kudermetova. These victories marked significant milestones for both 20-year-old players, propelling them into their first quarterfinals at this level of WTA competition.
Rising Stars Shine in Guadalajara
Both Jacquemot and Jimenez Kasintseva come with impressive junior backgrounds, having each secured a girls’ singles Grand Slam title in 2020. For Jimenez Kasintseva, the win over Kudermetova was particularly meaningful, as it represented her first tour-level quarterfinal in three years. Her last appearance in the final eight was as a lucky loser in Seoul. Jacquemot, on the other hand, followed up her quarterfinal performance at the WTA 250 event in Cleveland with what is now considered the biggest win of her career.
In her match, Jimenez Kasintseva, a left-handed player from Andorra, took 1 hour and 31 minutes to secure victory against Kudermetova, who is currently ranked No. 26. This win also marked her first career victory over a Top 50 opponent. Notably, Jimenez Kasintseva saved all four break points she faced, while Kudermetova struggled, landing only 47% of her first serves throughout the match.
Jacquemot’s victory was equally impressive, coming in a rain-affected match that began on Wednesday. When play resumed, she was trailing by a set but managed to turn the tide, leading 3-2 in the second set. Mertens ended the match with an astonishing 62 unforced errors, unable to regain momentum as Jacquemot surged ahead, winning eight out of ten games after the resumption. The match concluded after 2 hours and 25 minutes, with Jacquemot ultimately sealing the victory despite Mertens’ late rally from 1-5 to 4-5 in the final set.
Jacquemot and Jimenez Kasintseva are now among four unseeded players who have advanced to the quarterfinals in Guadalajara, joining Colombia’s Emiliana Arango and wild card Nikola Bartunkova. Their performances at this tournament highlight the emergence of new talent in women’s tennis and set the stage for exciting matches ahead.