Emma Navarro achieves first new season feat as Merida Open Akron run continues

Emma Navarro will play Elina Avanesyan in the semi-finals of Merida Open Akron perhaps going to script out of those left after taking down the defending champion Zeynep Sonmez earlier on Saturday. But in doing so she achieves a feat she hasn't completed this season.

The model of consistency at times last season, Navarro has had an up and down start to 2025. But so have many of the names that stood out last year, Qinwen Zheng and Diana Shnaider to name a few haven't got back into form yet.

Both have not been winning games. But Navarro usually shows up in Grand Slams after her graduation from ITF and WTA 125k tournaments up the rankings to the top 10.

She only has Hobart in her locker and will aim to add Mexico glory to her cabinet this weekend. This ahead of returning home for Indian Wells, Miami and her home tournament Charleston Open.

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She has reached a first semi-final of the season in reaching this point of the tournament. Albeit has only played two games seeing off Sonmez and crushing Petra Martic.

Avanesyan is a bit of a floater in that she is a name that has yet to fully break out but is a handful when it comes to being drawn against her. The now Armenian has played three games seeing off Magdalena Frech, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and also rising star Maya Joint.

Joint albeit performed poorly at her home Grand Slam has been a real player to watch outside of that and is the top ranked teenager outside of Mirra Andreeva. But now comes the top seed for her. The first semi-final of the year for Navarro though and a much needed confidence boost.

Many of the top 10 or those who played last season have tended to struggle since such as Jasmine Paolini and the aformentioned names and she didn't take perhaps her warranted spot in the WTA Finals due to poor form to end the year.

Zheng Qinwen went on to take the final berth and ended up in the final losing to Coco Gauff but Navarro will look to book her own path continuing tonight.

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