Kessler Upsets Samsonova to Reach Ningbo Open Quarterfinals

Unseeded American McCartney Kessler continued her breakout run at the Ningbo Open, earning a 7-6 (5), 6-1 victory over eighth-seeded Liudmila Samsonova of Russia on Thursday in Ningbo, China.

Kessler looked in total control early, building a 5-1 lead before Samsonova mounted a brief comeback to force a tiebreaker. The 24-year-old Floridian steadied herself when it mattered most, converting her opportunities to close out the opening set and dominating the second. The win, completed in just over an hour and 40 minutes, marked the only upset of the day at the WTA 500 event.

Kessler now advances to face No. 4 Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia in the quarterfinals — her biggest test yet in what has been a confident and fearless showing on Chinese hard courts.

In other Thursday action, the favorites held firm:

• No. 2 Jasmine Paolini (Italy) beat Veronika Kudermetova (Russia) 6-2, 7-5.
• No. 3 Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan) outlasted Dayana Yastremska (Ukraine) 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-3 in a baseline-heavy clash.
• Alexandrova cruised past China’s Yue Yuan 6-3, 6-3 to set up her matchup with Kessler.

For tennis bettors and fans analyzing late-season trends, this week’s results highlight the importance of momentum and surface adaptation — key factors covered in Sportshub’s Expert Tennis Betting Guide for sharper insight before quarterfinal play.

Fernandez Advances Amid Day of Upsets at Japan Open

In Osaka, Leylah Fernandez was the lone seeded player to advance on Thursday at the Japan Open, navigating a turbulent day of upsets with a convincing 6-1, 6-4 victory over Hungary’s Dalma Galfi.

The fourth-seeded Canadian was near flawless on serve, winning 81% of her first-serve points and saving the only break point she faced in a match that lasted 79 minutes. Fernandez’s mix of precision and patience earned her a spot in the quarterfinals, where she’ll face Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia.

Sramkova delivered one of the day’s biggest surprises, defeating seventh seed Ann Li (USA) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to reach her first WTA 250 quarterfinal of the season.

Meanwhile, top contenders Elise Mertens and Marie Bouzkova were both eliminated in dramatic fashion. Mertens fell 6-4, 6-1 to Czech rising star Tereza Valentova, while Bouzkova lost a grueling 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3) battle against Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland that lasted nearly three hours.

With so many seeds falling early, Osaka’s draw has opened wide — creating potential value angles for those following daily updates on Sportshub’s Tennis Picks and Tennis Odds pages.