Tereza Smitkova vs. Taylor Townsend

WTA World Tour / 27 July 2014, 21:30

The second qualifying round of the Citi Open will see Tereza Smitkova play Taylor Townsend in Washington on Sunday, 27 July.

This is the first time that these players will face each other despite both having been on the circuit for four years. Smitkova made it through the first qualifying round beating Petra Rampre 7 – 5, 6 – 4 while Townsend beat Alexandra Mueller 6 – 1, 1 – 6, 6 – 1.

Smitkova is currently ranked No. 98 in the WTA Rankings having reached the Round of 16 at Wimbledon earlier this year to gain an extra 280 WTA Ranking Points. Furthermore, she has won four single titles on the ITF tour. Earlier this year she won at Karshi and her three other titles all came in 2012, at Hvar, Bath and Stuttgart.

Townsend is ranked No. 145 in the WTA Rankings with most of her ranking points this year coming from reaching the Round of 32 at the French Open. This year she has won two ITF titles, the first in Charlottesville and the second in Indian Harbour Beach while last year she reached the doubles final of the 2013 Citi Open with partner Eugenie Bouchard. Furthermore, in 2012, at the age of 16, she was the winner of the Junior Australian Open singles competition.

In addition to both of these players having won multiple titles and doubles titles, on paper they are extremely well matched. Neither is likely to give in without a fight and it would be no surprise if this match went all the way.