With her dispatch of Katerina Siniakova on Thursday, Emma Navarro notched her 14th win of the year to advance to the quarterfinals of the San Diego Open.
The No.3 seed ranks third on the WTA Tour in wins this season after her latest victory at the Barnes Tennis Center in Ocean Beach.
She will next face Australian qualifier Daria Saville on Friday. But Navarro, 22, says she isn’t fazed by the quick turnaround.
“I love the grind,” she insisted. “I love to compete and come out on back-to-back days, putting my best foot forward.”
Navarro logged her second win over Siniakova in a matter of weeks, having also prevailed against her in the second round in Dubai earlier this month. This time she did it 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
The former University of Virginia standout, the NCAA singles titlist in 2021, is into the last eight in San Diego for the second year in a row.
Anna Blinkova had an amazing comeback Down Under to begin the year. She’s doing it again in San Diego.
In January, the 51st-ranked baseliner famously saved six match points to upset world No. 4 Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (20), in a match that featured the longest tiebreak in Grand Slam history.
Earlier this week in San Diego, she rallied from a set and a break down to defeat former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki. And on Tuesday, the 25-year-old erased a 2-5 first-set deficit to upend fifth seed Dayana Yastremska, 7-6 (6), 6-2.
“She was making winners all over the court,” said Blinkova, into her first quarterfinal of 2024. “I just kept on fighting. I was trying to find solutions. I tried to change the trajectory a little bit.”
Blinkova faces top seed Jessica Pegula of the U.S. Friday. She is 0-2 against Pegula.
Donna Vekic remains on track for a return to the final in San Diego. The seventh seed from Croatia, a runner-up here in 2022, advanced via a two-hour, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 dismissal of the youngest player remaining in the draw, 19-year-old qualifier Marina Stakusic of Canada. Her next opponent will be Great Britain’s Katie Boulter.
Tickets for the San Diego Open are currently on sale. Ticket information is available on the official tournament website.
