Cocciaretto defeats Vekic for biggest career win in Palermo
Donna Vekic was outplayed by teenager Elisabetta Cocciaretto at the Palermo Ladies Open.
Elisabetta Cocciaretto scored the biggest win of her young career by defeating Donna Vekic to reach a maiden WTA quarter-final at the Palermo Ladies Open.
The 19-year-old, the youngest player in the draw, was a 6-2 6-4 victor over the Croatian sixth seed in Thursday’s round-of-16 match.
It marks the first time Cocciaretto has defeated a top-30 player in her career.
There was more Italian joy as Sara Errani, a two-time champion, made it to the last eight in Palermo for the eighth time after coming back to defeat Kristyna Pliskova 3-6 6-4 6-3.
Elisabetta Cocciaretto is into her first ever quarterfinal!
Defeats the No.6 seed Vekic, 6-2, 6-4.#PLO20 pic.twitter.com/ZBlCBgi2JG
— wta (@WTA) August 5, 2020
Home favourite Errani lost the first 13 points of the match but roared back for a 180th career win on clay – more than any other active player – and will next face Fiona Ferro, who defeated eighth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-5 6-2.
Rounding out the action, Aliaksandra Sasnovich hammered Jasmine Paolini 6-0 6-2.
