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Vinay Nayudu
Doha
Young and fearless Catherine 'Cici' Bellis is indeed having a great time in Doha.
On Thursday, the 18-year-old American once again brought to light her prodigious talent as she knocked out the fifth seed and defending champion Karolina Pliskova in straight sets to storm into the quarter-finals of Qatar Total Open 2018 at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex.
World No. 48, Bellis, who made the main draw through the qualifiers and accounted for 12th seed and compatriot Madison Keys on Wednesday, showed both spunk and tenacity in battling past the Czech 7-6 (4), 6-3 in a match that lasted an hour and 36 minutes.
Meanwhile, the other Czech, Petra Kvitova, seeded 16, gave a good account of her returning to top flight as she quelled the challenge of 3rd seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-4, 7-5.
For the other top seeds, it was business as usual.
World No. 1, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark accounted for the giant-killing qualifier Monica Nicuslescu of Romania 7-5, 6-1. Niculescu had beaten Maria Sharapova in the opening round.
World No. 2 Simona Halep of Romania stayed on course with a smooth 6-4, 6-3 win over 13th seed Latvian Anastasija Sevastova, while fourth seed Garbine Muguruza was swift in her dismissal of Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-4.
Elsewhere, number seven seed Caroline Garcia of France faced a little stutter before discarding Russian qualifier Anna Blinkova 7-6 (3), 7-5; and number nine seed Julia Georges of Germany beat Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu, who had scalped sixth seed Jelena Ostapenko, 6-2, 6-2.
The big show, however, belonged to Bellis who has repeatedly expressed her delight and enjoyment at being in this tournament.
"It was similar to my match yesterday, I think," said Bellis for whom this is still her biggest victory of her career.
"But obviously she's ranked a bit higher, so I knew I had to be even a little bit sharper. I think, you know, in the end of the first set I was really finding my groove, and figured if I could take this first one and start strong in the second, I think I could do it," she continued to explain her winning show against Pliskova.
Bellis will take on World No.2 Simona Halep in the Last 16.
"Her (Halep's) season has been awesome," said Bellis.
"I've watched so much of it, and it would be super fun to play her, just as fun as going into my match today. So I think it would be awesome if I get to do that."
On the secret behind her loving it so much playing in Doha and whether it is the courts, the weather, the people or the food?, Bellis said,"Probably all of it. The food, we've been going to Nobu every single night, and I love it. So I think that's definitely helping me. I've also been having ice cream after dinner every night. I think that gives me a bit of energy. And I think, it's definitely everything combined."
While Bellis seemed to have everything going her way, Wozniacki seemed a little distracted by her opponent Niculescu. Most of the Romanian's opponents have a problem with her 'weird' top-spin slice play, but for Dane Wozniacki it was her grunting which she claimed to the umpire was coming even when the player was not hitting the ball and in fact when she was about to hit a ball!
Asked if she felt that Niculescu was doing it deliberately, Wozniacki shrugged her shoulders to say,"Well! She didn't do it in the second set."
The complaint to the umpire was soon after Wozniacki had won the opening set at 7-5. The twice Qatar Open finalist including in 2017, however, settled down soon to make short work of Niculescu in the second set.
In the quarter-finals, Wozniacki will meet former World No. 1 Angelique Kerber of Germany or number ten seed Johanna Konta of Britain. The two were still playing at the time of going to the press.
In the other last eight round, World No. 4 Muguruza will meet Garcia while Kvitova will take on Georges.
