Charleston, USA, 4 April 2024 | Dan Imhoff

Charleston, USA

Astra Sharma will meet third seed Maria Sakkari for a place in her first tour-level quarterfinal in almost two years after a straight-sets upset of Lesia Tsurenko at Charleston on Wednesday.

The Australian lucky loser backed up her win over countrywoman Arina Rodionova – her first WTA main-draw victory since July – with a 6-4 6-0 victory over the 16^th-seeded Ukrainian.

A champion at a Charleston WTA 250 event in 2021, in which she beat former world No.2 Ons Jabeur in the final, the 28-year-old moved to within one win of her first WTA quarterfinal since Rabat in May 2022.

Aussies in action – Charleston

RESULTS
Women’s singles, second round
[LL] Astra Sharma (AUS) d [16] Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 6-4 6-0

COMING UP
Women’s singles, second round
[Q] Daria Saville (AUS) v [7] Elina Svitolina (UKR)

Women’s singles, third round
[LL] Astra Sharma (AUS) v [3] Maria Sakkari (GRE)

Women’s doubles, quarterfinals
[1] Ellen Perez (AUS)/Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) v Magda Linette (POL)/Zhang Shuai (CHN)

Houston, USA

Brandon Nakashima has halted Australian Rinky Hijikata’s bid to claim back-to-back wins on clay for the first time at Houston.

The 80^th-ranked Hijikata was seeking third tour-level quarterfinal of the season but was unable to match the 22-year-old American in a 6-1 6-4 second-round defeat.

Hijikata had picked up his maiden ATP clay-court win over fifth seed Christopher Eubanks at the first hurdle.

After an injury-marred 2023, 92^nd-ranked Nakashima will face either top seed Ben Shelton or Zizou Bergs in his first quarterfinal since Lyon in May.

Aussies in action – Houston

RESULTS
Men’s singles, second round
Brandon Nakashima (USA) d Rinky Hijikata (AUS) 6-1 6-4

Men’s doubles, quarterfinals
4] Max Purcell (AUS)/Jordan Thompson (AUS) d Anirudh Chandrasekar (IND)/Vijay-Sundar Prashanth (IND) 3-6 6-3 [10-5]

COMING UP
Men’s singles, second round
James Duckworth (AUS) v [3] Frances Tiafoe (USA)
[8] Max Purcell (AUS) v [WC] Michael Mmoh (USA)
[6] Jordan Thompson (AUS) v Aleksandar Kovacevic (USA

Men’s doubles, quarterfinals
John Peers (AUS)/William Blumberg (USA) v [WC] Andres Andrade (ECU)/Ben Shelton (USA)
Andrew Harris (AUS)/Rinky Hijikata (AUS) v Fernando Romboli (BRA)/Marcelo Zormann Da Silva (BRA)

Marrakech, Morocco

Aussies in action – Marrakech

RESULTS
Men’s doubles, first round
Boris Arias (BOL)/Federico Zeballos (BOL) d [ALT] Aleksandar Vukic (AUS)/Sumit Nagal (IND) 7-6(5) 4-6 [10-3]

COMING UP
Men’s singles, second round
Aleksandar Vukic (AUS) v [2] Sebastian Ofner (AUT)

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