PRAGUE: Top seed Karolina Pliskova rallied from a set down to make the Prague Open quarter-finals, beating Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (1) here on Wednesday.

Pliskova will next a fellow Czech, wild-card entry and 103rd-ranked Denisa Allertova, who upset fifth-seeded Alize Cornet 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 to avenge a loss to the Frenchwoman in the second round of the Australian Open.

Second seed Lucie Safarova was eliminated in the first round after losing 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 to Tereza Smitkova in an all-Czech match.

Later Wednesday, Czech qualifier Lucie Hradecka ousted Smitkova 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (11) in what was the second match of the day for both as rain postponed some matches originally scheduled for Tuesday. Hradecka earlier beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 6-1, 7-5.

Results:

First round: Lucie Hradecka (CZE) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 6-1, 7-5; Tereza Smitkova (CZE) bt Lucie Safarova (CZE x2) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.

Second round: Katerina Siniakova (CZE) bt Polona Hercog (SLO) 6-1, 6-4; Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) bt Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) 7-5, 6-7 (3/7), 7-5; Karolina Pliskova (CZE) bt Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/1); Danka Kovinic (MNE) bt Shuai Zhang (CHN) 6-1, 6-4; Denisa Allertova (CZE) bt Alizi Cornet (FRA x5) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2; Klara Koukalova (CZE) bt Ana Konjuh (CRO) 6-4, 2-6, 6-2; Lucie Hradecka (CZE) bt Tereza Smitkova (CZE) 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (13/11); Barbora Strycova (CZE) bt Elena Vesnina (RUS) 6-3, 6-3.

FEDERER MAKES QUARTERS

ISTANBUL: Top seed Roger Federer gave a demonstration of his service skills as he beat Jarkko Nieminen 6-2, 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals of the inaugural Istanbul Open here on Wednesday.

Federer never faced a break point and won 93 per cent of his first serves. He also served nine aces while Nieminen had none.

Results:

Second round: Roger Federer (SUI x1) bt Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 6-2, 7-5; Santiago Giraldo (COL) bt Andrey Rublev (RUS) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3; Daniel Gimeno (ESP) bt Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ x6) 6-3, 6-3; Diego Schwartzman (ARG x8) bt Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 6-0, 6-2.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2015

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