Maia Lumsden again impressed a supportive crowd at The Shrewsbury Club to set up an exciting quarter-final clash with top seed Yanina Wickmayer in the Budgen Motors World Tennis Tour W60 Shrewsbury tournament.
The 21-year-old Scot, a popular winner of a $25,000 event in Shrewsbury in November, hit the heights once more to book a place in today’s last eight.
Handed a wild card to compete in this week’s $60,000 tournament, Lumsden beat eighth seed Kathinka Von Deichmann, from Liechtenstein, who has a world ranking of 162, in straight sets.
“It was a good match,” said Lumsden, currently 344 in the rankings, following her 6-3, 6-4 triumph. “She’s got quite a unique game style. I had played her once before so I knew what to expect and I think I executed my game plan well. That helped me get the win.”
Lumsden, the British No. 9, thanked the Shrewsbury crowd for again providing such good backing from the stands.
“It was so good again,” she added. “There’s quite a lot of familiar faces from last time that have been coming up to say hello. It’s really nice to feel like I’ve got home support, almost like I’m playing in Glasgow.
“I love the club and love the courts, so hopefully I can keep going.”
As for facing Belgian star Wickmayer, currently ranked 126 in the world having been as high as 12, Lumsden said: “Obviously, she’s a big name. She’s made semis at the US Open before, so it will be a big challenge and a tough match, I’m sure. I think I’ve watched her on TV, but I’ve never played her before.”
Wickmayer delivered another strong display to overcome the challenge of French qualifier Jessika Ponchet 6-2, 6-3 in yesterday’s second round.
Jodie Burrage, the other British player, along with Lumsden, to reach the last 16 saw her impressive run ended by Czech Republic ace Tereza Smitkova, this week’s third seed.
Burrage, 19, having emerged from the qualifiers, was beaten 6-4, 6-1 by a player currently 138 in the world rankings.
Smitkova’s next opponent tomorrow will be French player Harmony Tan, a 6-4, 6-1 conqueror of seventh seed Bibiane Schoofs from the Netherlands.
Russian second seed Vitalia Diatchenko continued her excellent form by easing past French player Mrytille Georges 6-2, 6-0 in just 57 minutes.
Diatchenko will now meet Kimberley Zimmermann after the Belgian qualifier knocked out sixth seed Arina Rodionova from Australia 6-4, 6-0.
Spanish fifth seed Aliona Bolsova Zadoinov had no such problems, taking less than an hour to beat Raluca Georgiana Serban from Cyprus 6-2, 6-0, to secure a meeting with French player Amandine Hesse, who progressed to the last eight with a 6-3, 6-1 verdict against Norweigan Ulrikke Eikeri.
Lumsden is not the only British player still competing at The Shrewsbury Club this week as two more will feature in the quarter finals of the doubles.
Freya Christie will partner Russian Valeria Savinykh against Schoofs and Serban, the fourth seeds, in one of the matches which will open today’s proceedings at noon.
The four singles quarter-finals will be played before another doubles match – Brit Naomi Broady and Australian Storm Sanders against Sharon Fichman and Maria Sanchez – will complete the day’s action from 7pm.