ASB Classic WTA Round-Up | Iva Jovic and Francesca Jones book their places in the quarter-finals

Teenage sensation Iva Jovic continues her positive start to the 2026 campaign after defeating 19-year-old Sara Bejlek 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the ASB Classic to advance into the quarter-final stage.

Despite only being 18-years-old, the American is a firm fixture on the WTA Tour, already having to her name a WTA 500 trophy after winning at the Guadalajara Open. She goes into the event in Auckland as the number three seed, and thus one of the favourites for the title.

It was a topsy turvey match throughout. Bejlek stormed out of the blocks to take a 3-1 lead, but that was quickly eradicated by Jovic. Another break each saw them on level terms. As it closed in on a tiebreak, the Czech talent secured a huge break which would allow her to serve for the set. She was not able to get the job done with Jovic fighting back and confirming a tiebreak. She dominated in this, going 5-0 ahead before comfortably seeing it out.

The second set continued with the same pattern as the first, with both players struggling to stamp their authority with their serve. Jovic prolonged her positive momentum on court with a break but was pegged back by her opponent. She then made it three on the spin before four consecutive holds made good reading for Jovic as both players started to settle on their serve. It would not last with Bejlek breaking to love for a level second set. This would be her final game of the match as Jovic immediately snuck back in front before getting the job done on her serve.

"That first set was topsy-turvy but I found my way in the second," she told Sky Sport. "Tennis is a game of tiny moments that decide matches, just fake it until you make it and try to have the confidence and that's what I did."

Francesca Jones is enjoying a brilliant tournament in New Zealand. She defeated former top 10 player Emma Navarro to sail into the round-of-16, where she completed a resilient comeback in a 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 triumph against Sinja Kraus.

While Jones was still bathing in her success in the first round, she was hit with a barrage from her opponent early on, as the Austrian swept her aside in the first set with a dominant showing. She then took a 3-0 lead in what seemed to be a walk in the park for Kraus. However, the tables would turn. Jones won five games in a row to take control before seeing it out for a level match.

It was reversed roles in the third set, with the momentum of the match having fully shifted in the favour of the Brit. She was as dominant as she was clinical, taking whatever chances she mustered up to defeat her opponent and qualify for the quarter-finals.

"I just think I tried to take myself out of the situation a little bit, forget what was happening and trying to start new," she stated. "When you feel so uncomfortable on the court, you kind of ignore the momentum. The more points I can play, the more matches I can play, the better, and I just keep trying to focus on that."

The 25-year-old will have a test against the seventh seed Xinyu Wang in the last-eight after the Chinese woman defeated Renata Zarazua 7-5, 6-4. The other tie played saw two qualifiers clash. It would be Sofia Costoulas to prevail 6-2, 6-0 over Kaitlin Quevedo to set up a match against Jovic.

The remaining last-16 ties are set to be played on January 8, with a blockbuster contest between Elina Svitolina and Katie Boulter on the cards along with the likes of Alexandra Eala, Magda Linette and Sonay Kartal also taking to the court.