Mair stumbles as the teenagers whirl

In Ortisei, the young wild ones are ruling this week. And of all places, at the venue where the local player Laura Mair is usually carried by the energy of the fans, nothing worked yesterday. Absolutely nothing.

For the second time this week, the 22-year-old from Selva was in the spotlight at the Sparkasse ITF W50 Val Gardena Südtirol, but against Kayla Cross the stage was cleared in no time. The Canadian, 20 years young, WTA 233 and apparently arriving with a built-in turbo, ended Mair’s hopes after just 57 minutes.
6:2, 6:1. Point. Done. Over.

Cross has not come to Ortisei to play, but to demonstrate. Semifinal and final recently at two $40,000 tournaments in Chihuahua, a WTA-125 doubles title in Tampico, a wild card for Montreal, Grand Slam qualifying in Paris and Wimbledon. The list reads like the opening chapter of a steep career. And that’s exactly how she performed.

For Laura Mair (WTA 586), on the other hand, it was an evening to forget. The form that had carried her to two quarterfinals at W50 tournaments remained stuck somewhere between clay and carpet this time. The transition didn’t work, and what had already become apparent in round one was confirmed. The rhythm was missing, the timing gone, the legs refusing to go where the ball was headed.

Now it’s time to clear her head. Next week brings her home tournament in Selva at TC Gherdeina. 

Xu shocks the number one – and the tournament along with her

While Mair’s run ended, Mimi Xu lit the next firework. 18 years old, British, full of power and apparently without fear. The WTA-259 player blasted tournament favourite Sofia Costoulas (WTA 150) out of the draw.

After losing the first set (2:6), Xu switched gears as if someone had secretly turned on a turbo: 6:3, 6:3. Boom. The number one is out. Number two – Silvia Ambrosio – also out. And that already in the round of 16. A tournament that ignores the seeding list? Gladly.

Bandecchi solid, Radwanska gritty – and Maines at her limit

Susan Bandecchi (WTA 241) cleared the hurdle of Tina Nadine Smith without difficulty. The former TC Rungg player served strongly, looked fresh, and confirmed the excellent form she had recently shown in Glasgow (final) and Rovereto (semi-final).

Speaking of experience: Urszula Radwanska, 34 years young and once number 29 in the world, is playing in St. Ulrich as if in a second spring. After two marathon matches, she allowed herself a comparatively short working day against Kathinka von Deichmann: 7:6 (3), 6:4 and straight into the quarter-finals.

The young talent from Trentino, Noemi Maines (WTA 833), had less luck. Against the quick Swede Lisa Zaar (WTA 437), her strength didn’t last through to the end after a strong tournament week. 3:6, 1:6 – but with qualifying wins and a first-round victory, Maines recorded the biggest moment of her career so far.

In the Portuguese family duel, the older sister finally prevailed: Francisca Jorge (25/WTA 224) edged out Matilde (21/WTA 264) 6:3, 5:7, 6:4 after 2 hours and 24 minutes.