Julia Grabher did not continue her successful run at the WTA tournament in Charleston! The Vorarlberg native had to admit defeat to Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrowa, number 7 seeded at the clay court event in the USA, on Thursday 4: 6, 2: 6 despite a strong start. It was her first round of 16 at WTA500 level.
Grabher didn’t reward herself for her strong start. The 26-year-old already led 4-1 in the first set, but didn’t play a game after that. In the second round, the Russian took her serve in the first game.Alexandrowa, number 17 in the world, did not let the Austrian back into the match afterwards. Grabher only used two of her seven break chances, her opponent five out of ten. Alexandrowa, last year in Charleston in the semifinals, also served six aces. Despite defeat in top 80 in the world Austria’s number 1 will move into the top 80 in the world for the first time in her career. On the way to the round of 16, Grabher had eliminated the Chinese Zhang Shuai and the American Sachia Vickery in South Carolina. In the second duel of her career with a top 20 player, the Dornbirn native managed at least one game more than in the first. At her Grand Slam premiere in January at the Australian Open against Estonian Anett Kontaveit, then number 19 in the world, there were five.
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