Sovereign performance

ÖTV lady eliminates the number one in Florida

Julia Grabher is jubilant! Austria's former number one has already reached the quarter-finals in Boca Raton (Florida) after sweeping top seed Carlota Martinez Cirez of Spain off the clay court 6-2, 6-2 after just 1:19 hours. Now she meets an old acquaintance.

The defeat at the Billie Jean King Cup against the Ukraine is over, Julia Grabher shines on her favorite surface at the ITF W50 tournament in Boca Raton. After the 28-year-old from Vorarlberg had eliminated the 15-year-old Canadian Selin Vakalapudi with the maximum penalty of 6:0 and 6:0 at the start, she also made short work of the top seeded Spaniard Carlota Martinez Cirez.

A clear affair 
Grabher, currently ranked 524th in the WTA world rankings, broke her 23-year-old opponent (WTA no. 223) 2:1 and 4:1 and took the first set 6:2 after 41 minutes. In the second set, Grabher - who had risen to 54th in the world rankings before her wrist operation last fall - quickly pulled away to 4:0 with two breaks. After 79 minutes, the player from Dornbirn then converted her first match point for a clear 6:2, 6:2 victory over the Spaniard.

Third duel of the season with Vedder
In the quarter-finals, Grabher will now meet the Dutchwoman Eva Vedder, seeded sixth in Boca Raton, against whom she has already played four matches. The Austrian has emerged victorious three times, Vedder once. Grabher won the first two duels in 2022, then Vedder prevailed 6:3, 6:2 in Reus in September 2024, and a week later Julia prevailed 6:2, 6:4 at the tournament in Santa Margherita di Pula.