Carol Zhao, of Canada, returns the ball during a match against Amanda Anisimova, of the USA, at the National Bank Open tennis tournament in Toronto, on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. Zhao, of Richmond Hill, Ont., moved one step closer to qualifying for the first Grand Slam main draw of her career with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 second-round win over Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands in Wimbledon qualifying on Wednesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov
LONDON – Carol Zhao of Richmond Hill, Ont., moved one step closer to qualifying for the first Grand Slam main draw of her career with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 second-round win over Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands in Wimbledon qualifying on Wednesday.
Zhao was accurate on 80 per cent of her first serves, winning 67 per cent of available points. She was also effective on second serve, winning 75 per cent of those points.
The Canadian broke Rus, ranked No. 2 in the qualifying tournament, four times on eight chances.
Zhao will face American veteran CoCo Vandeweghe on Thursday for a spot in the main draw of the grass court Grand Slam.
She will be the only Canadian playing for a main draw spot on Thursday. Toronto’s Katherine Sebov fell 6-0, 6-3 to Czechia’s Brenda Fruhvirtova in the second round of women’s qualifying, while Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo was defeated 6-4, 6-4 by Italy’s Matteo Gigante in the second round of the men’s tournament.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2023.
