Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open: jet-lagged Zakharova eyes title bid after 14-hour journey
Russian Anastasia Zakharova will aim for a 13th straight victory when she tackles Britain’s Katie Boulter in Friday’s quarter-finals
Surprise package Anastasia Zakharova said she was dreaming of winning her first WTA title in Hong Kong, having only arrived in the city on Monday after a 14-hour dash from Spain.
The world No 113 ruthlessly dispatched out-of-sorts world No 66 Varvara Gracheva 6-3, 6-1 on Thursday to set up an intriguing quarter-final tie with Britain’s Katie Boulter at Victoria Park Tennis Centre.
Russian Zakharova won a W100 tournament on the third-tier ITF Tour in Barcelona on Sunday, one week after claiming a W50 title in the French city of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin.
Her lightning-quick win over Gracheva in the blazing afternoon sun was Zakharova’s 12th straight victory.
“It has been a lot of work with my team to achieve that run, then to be ready for this tournament,” Zakharova told the Post. “It was a very long flight with my mum from Barcelona. We went to Doha, then Hong Kong.
“It took 14 hours, then it was another hour to the hotel. I slept for maybe one hour on Monday night, then had to play on Tuesday. It was very hard for me, but I like Hong Kong and I am enjoying every moment of my time here.”
