Mair and Ambrosio shine in Ortisei
04.12.24
Wednesday at the Raiffeisen ITF Women’s Val Gardena Südtirol ($25,000) tournament in Ortisei featured a mix of surprises, dominant performances, and great suspense. All singles Round of 16 matches and two doubles quarterfinals were on the schedule. While some seeded players confirmed their status as favorites, others had to leave the tournament. In particular, local favorite Laura Mair and TC Rungg talent Silvia Ambrosio stood out with exceptional performances, thrilling and exciting the audience. Here is the roundup.
SEEDED PLAYERS WITH MIXED FORTUNES
Of the seven seeds remaining at the start of the day, only three reached the quarterfinals. The top seed, Justina Mikulskyte from Lithuania, had to work hard against Russia's Ekaterina Ovcharenko but eventually prevailed with a solid 6:3, 6:3. There was also a clear win for the number 7 seed, Iva Primorac (Croatia), who defeated Danish qualifier Olga Helmi with a double 6:1. Meanwhile, Australian Tina Nadine Smith (4th seed) outperformed young Italian talent Angelica Sara in a high-level match, winning 7:5, 6:2. Other favorites, however, faced greater challenges. Stacey Fung (Canada, 5th seed), finalist in Selva, had to retire in the third set against Poland’s Weronika Falkowska, due to accumulated fatigue in recent weeks. The 3rd seed, Tena Lukas (Croatia), was defeated by Serbia's Mia Ristic with a decisive 4:6, 3:6. Finally, Sofia Rocchetti (8th seed) and Tereza Valentova (2nd seed) faced insurmountable opponents, who delivered outstanding performances with strong local connections.
LAURA MAIR AND SILVIA AMBROSIO DELIGHT THE CROWD
Laura Mair (TC Gherdeina | WTA No. 754) and Silvia Ambrosio (TC Rungg | WTA No. 460) gave the local fans an unforgettable day. Mair dominated Sofia Rocchetti with powerful, aggressive shots, winning convincingly 6:1, 6:2 and delivering a series of spectacular winning points. Ambrosio, on the other hand, faced Tereza Valentova, winner of the French Open Junior, with a top-level performance. After an almost flawless first set, the TC Rungg player withstood a comeback from the Czech in the second set, maintaining control during long and intense rallies. The final result was 6:1, 6:4. In doubles, however, the day was not as positive for the South Tyrolean players. The young duo of Sofia Selle and Anna Costaperaria (making their ITF debut) was soundly defeated by sisters Elisabeth and Christine Junge-Ilges 3:6, 1:6.
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
On Thursday, the four singles quarterfinals will take place on the Central Court in Ortisei. Laura Mair will face Australian Tina Nadine Smith, while Silvia Ambrosio will compete in an all-Italian derby against Federica Urgesi. Additionally, Justina Mikulskyte will play against Iva Primorac, and Mia Ristic will face Weronika Falkowska. Meanwhile, the doubles semifinals will unfold on Court 1, promising another exciting day of tennis.
ALL RESULTS FROM DAY 4:
MAIN DRAW SINGLES | ROUND OF 16:
[1] Justina Mikulskyte – Ekaterina Ovcharenko 6:3, 6:3
[Q] Olga Helmi – [7] Iva Primorac 4:6, 3:6
[3] Tena Lukas – Mia Ristic 4:6, 3:6
Weronika Falkowska – [5] Stacey Fung 4:6, 6:0, 3:0 ret. Fung
[8] Sofia Rocchetti – [WC] Laura Mair 1:6, 2:6
[WC] Angelica Sara – [4] Tina Nadine Smith 5:7, 2:6
Federica Urgesi – [Q] Noemi Maines 6:3, 7:6(4)
Silvia Ambrosio – [2] Tereza Valentova 6:1, 6:4
MAIN DRAW DOUBLES | QUARTERFINALS:
[1] Weronika Falkowska/Lisa Zaar – Mia Ristic/Milana Zhabrailova 6:3, 7:5
[4] Christine Junge-Ilges/Elisabeth Junge-Ilges – Anna Costaperaria/Sofia Selle 6:3, 6:1
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE:
MAIN DRAW SINGLES | QUARTERFINALS:
[1] Justina Mikulskyte – [7] Iva Primorac
Mia Ristic – Weronika Falkowska
[WC] Laura Mair – [4] Tina Nadine Smith
Federica Urgesi – Silvia Ambrosio
MAIN DRAW DOUBLES | SEMIFINALS:
[1] Weronika Falkowska/Lisa Zaar – [4] Christine Junge-Ilges/Elisabeth Junge-Ilges
[3] Silvia Ambrosio/Sofia Rocchetti – [2] Ekaterina Ovcharenko/Emily Webley-Smith