High temperatures are proving particularly difficult for the German tennis hopeful. Seidel’s winning streak in Cincinnati is over.
German tennis hopeful Ella Seidel has been knocked out of the WTA tournament in Cincinnati. The 20-year-old lost her grueling round of 16 match against France’s Varvara Gracheva 6-2, 1-6, 1-6 and, despite a good start, missed out on reaching the quarterfinals of a 1000-series tournament for the first time.
The heat in particular took its toll on the Hamburg native as the match progressed.
Seidel dominated the first set against the world number 103. However, the powerful right-hander gradually ran out of steam: with temperatures above 30 degrees, Seidel also had to take a medical timeout in the second set.
The exhausted newcomer was then unable to find a way back into the match. Gracheva, who improved significantly, will now face Magda Linette (Poland) or Veronika Kudermetova.
Tournament still a success for Seidel despite defeat
For Seidel, who surprised the world number 11 Emma Navarro and McCartney Kessler, ranked 32nd in the world, the tournament in the US state of Ohio is still a success.
The young Hanseatic player, who is slowly but surely approaching the top 100, can look forward with confidence to the last Grand Slam tournament of the year in New York (starting August 24). Seidel has never been in the main draw at the US Open, but that is set to change this year.
Seidel was the last of a quartet of German players at the $5.15 million hard court tournament.
Wimbledon quarter-finalist Laura Siegemund (Metzingen) was eliminated in the first round of the US Open warm-up tournament, while German number one Tatjana Maria (Bad Saulgau) and Eva Lys (Hamburg) were knocked out in the second round.