Liudmila Samsonova and Veronika Kudermetova both lost their fourth-round matches in New York
Russian interest in the US Open women’s singles draw is over after losses for Liudmila Samsonova and Veronika Kudermetova in their respective fourth-round matches in New York on Sunday.
Samsonova, 23, had arrived at Flushing Meadows on the back of successive WTA Tour titles and had seemed primed for a strong run at the tournament, but saw her hopes of a quarterfinal spot end at the hands of Ajla Tomljanovic.
Samsonova lost 6-7 (8-10) 1-6 at Louis Armstrong Stadium, fading in the second set against a rival who had sent Serena Williams into retirement in the previous round.
The Russian hit 24 winners compared to just nine for Tomljanovic, although the Australian produced a much higher success rate of defending her second serve at 59% to Samsonova’s 40%.
The Croatian-born Tomljanovic, 29, will next play fifth seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia in the quarterfinals after Jabeur overcame Russian 18th seed Kudermetova in their fourth-round meeting in Queens on Sunday.
Wimbledon finalist Jabeur prevailed 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 to beat Kudermetova for the first time in their four career meetings, ending the 25-year-old Russian’s hopes of a second quarterfinal appearance at a Grand Slam after she made the last eight at Roland-Garros earlier this year.
Despite their exits, Samsonova and Kudermetova can both reflect on career-best runs to the fourth round in New York, going further than the likes of current Russian women’s number one Daria Kasatkina, who suffered a disappointing first-round defeat.
Elsewhere in the draw, three-time US Open finalist Victoria Azarenka of Belarus plays her fourth-round match against Czech rival Karolina Pliskova on Monday, while fellow Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka takes on American Danielle Collins at the same stage of the tournament.
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