Day 4 of week 1 saw the quarter-final stages kick off with all 24 players taking part in today’s action.
To start the day, 2021 UKPL Champion Matusevich imposed his fearless game on Johnson, booking his spot in the semi-finals in just over an hour. Matusevich, who suffered of some shoulder pain during the match, managed to break very early in both sets, showcasing some great passing shots and his brutal forehands. On Court 2, Gray won comfortably in straight sets 6-2, 6-0 against 20-year-old Weightman, who lost the accuracy and grit he showed in the pool stages. Gray will face the UKPL 2021 Champion in what is set to be a very tough contest.
The top ranked player in the men’s draw Ryan Peniston could only beat Mark Whitehouse at the decider, after a match dominated by the Surrey player. Peniston, who is currently ranked 267 in the World advances to his second UKPL semi-final after the 2020 Finals Week, winning a strenuous match from a set and a break down and not losing focus in the moments that mattered. Peniston will face Aidan McHugh, who chalked up his very first semi-final at the UK Pro League beating 2021 Finalist Henry Patten 6(5)-7, 6-3, 10-4. After nearly two hours of match time, the Scottish player concluded a memorable comeback, portraying an all-court tennis game here at The NTC.
On the women’s side, the top seed Eden Silva lost 7-5, 7-6(10) to Arina Vasilescu in one of the most intense 2 setters of the week. Vasilescu inched past Silva in a 1hr 39min tussle, where she almost failed to convert 8 match points but yet managed to block Silva’s attempt to come back in the second set. Joining her in the semi-final will be Katie Stresnakova who overcame Joanna Garland 6-4, 1-6, 10-4 after a thrilling match tie-break. Stresnakova showed great mental strength and a great ability to switch up her shots after Garland managed to edge her way back in contention in the second set.
Sonay Kartal safely cleared her quarter final beating the determined Millie Bissett. In the 6-2, 6-1 result Kartal was flawless, finding all the corners of the court and hitting some unbelievable passing shots. The 19-year-old has yet to drop a set this week and has looked unstoppable as she progresses to the semi-final stage where she will face Eliz Maloney, who won a gruelling 2h12 battle against Freya Christie 7-6(6), 6-3.
The 9th-12th round robin stage also kicked off as there were wins for Danielle Daley, Lauryn John-Baptiste, Ben Jones and Billy Harris, who won a good match against Paris, vindicating the loss in the UKPL2021 Week 1 Final.