Athens Open WTA Day Two Round-Up | Barbora Krejcikova and Clara Tauson lead winners as Korneeva continues rise
WTATuesday, 14 July 2026 at 23:02
The second day of action at the Athens Open featured strong performances from established names and rising contenders, with Barbora Krejcikova, Clara Tauson and second seed Ann Li all securing victories to move into the second round. Former junior No.1 Alina Korneeva also continued her progression with a dominant straight-sets win.
Li produced one of the most impressive performances of the day, while Krejcikova overcame an inconsistent serving display to advance against Viktorija Tomova. Elsewhere, Clara Tauson handled the key moments against qualifier Nao Hibino, while Aliaksandra Sasnovich recovered from a slow start to defeat Anna Blinkova.
Ann Li dominates Timofeeva to continue strong Athens campaign
Ann Li def. Maria Timofeeva 6-2, 6-1
Ann Li produced a dominant performance on Athens, overcoming Maria Timofeeva in straight sets after taking control of the match midway through the opening set.
The American and Timofeeva began on equal terms, with both players successfully defending their service games during the opening stages of the match. The turning point arrived at 2-2, when Li found the first break of the contest and completely changed the momentum.
From that moment, the second seed produced an impressive run of seven consecutive games, allowing her to comfortably close out the opening set 6-2 and begin the second set with a break advantage.
Timofeeva managed to hold serve in the second set to reduce the deficit to 2-1, but she was unable to match Li's level behind her own delivery. The American continued to dominate her service games while taking every opportunity on return, winning another four consecutive games before sealing the victory.
Li finished the match winning 66% of points behind her serve, compared to just 47% for Timofeeva. The American now advances to face Alina Korneeva in the second round.
Ann Li is the second seed in Athens as world No 31.
Korneeva continues rise with dominant Athens victory
Alina Korneeva def. Aoi Ito 6-2, 6-1
Alina Korneeva continued her impressive progression on the WTA Tour with a commanding straight-sets victory over Aoi Ito, setting up a second-round clash against second seed Ann Li.
The Russian arrived in Athens as one of the most promising young players in the draw. A former junior world No.1 and two-time Grand Slam junior champion, Korneeva has taken time to establish herself at the highest level, but she has now secured a career-high ranking of world No. 86.
One of those junior Grand Slam triumphs came against Mirra Andreeva, months before Andreeva began collecting victories against established names on the WTA Tour. Korneeva, who turned 19 only three weeks ago, is now one of just six players under the age of 20 ranked inside the WTA Top 100.
Against Ito, ranked No.246 in the world, Korneeva immediately took control by opening with a break. Although the Japanese player responded quickly to level the early stages, the Russian gradually imposed her superior consistency and power from the baseline.
After Ito briefly recovered the break, Korneeva won five consecutive games to take command of the opening set. The Japanese player's struggles on serve proved decisive, as she managed to hold only one of her eight service games throughout the match. Korneeva completed the victory 6-2, 6-1 and now faces Li in a second-round meeting between two players looking to make a strong impact in Athens.
Krejcikova overcomes serving struggles to defeat Tomova
Barbora Krejcikova 6-3, 6-3 Viktorija Tomova
Barbora Krejcikova overcame an inconsistent serving performance to begin her Athens Open campaign with a straight-sets victory over Viktorija Tomova.
The Czech did not have the easiest start, falling behind early after dropping serve, but quickly responded by recovering the break before taking control of the opening set. Krejcikova found her best tennis on return, converting seven break opportunities throughout the match to consistently put pressure on Tomova.
The former Grand Slam champion was particularly effective behind her first serve, winning 70% of points when landing her opening delivery. Tomova struggled significantly in the same area, winning just 38% of first-serve points.
Both players had difficulties when forced to rely on their second serve, but Krejcikova showed greater efficiency in the most important moments. Despite committing seven double faults during the contest, the Czech remained clinical whenever chances appeared, securing a 7-4 advantage in breaks.
Krejcikova eventually closed out a 6-3, 6-3 victory and will now face Chloe Monnet in the second round after the French qualifier survived a dramatic deciding-set tie-break against Rebeka Masarova.
Tauson handles Hibino challenge after interrupted battle
Clara Tauson 7-5, 6-4 Nao Hibino
Clara Tauson booked her place in the second round after overcoming qualifier Nao Hibino in two competitive sets.
The Dane faced a strong challenge from Hibino throughout the contest, with the Japanese player matching her level during the opening stages. However, Tauson found the decisive moments late in the first set, securing the breakthrough needed to take a 7-5 lead.
The match was later interrupted due to technical issues with the tournament's electronic line-calling system, but Tauson maintained her composure after play resumed.
The former top junior continued applying pressure and secured another important break in the second set. Hibino remained competitive, but Tauson protected her advantage and completed a 7-5, 6-4 victory. The win sends Tauson into the second round as she continues her Athens campaign.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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