The Palermo Ladies Open experienced a dramatic turn as top seed Mayar Sherif was forced to withdraw due to injury just hours before her match. The former world No. 22’s withdrawal granted a walkover to Belgium’s Hanne Vandewinkel, who advances directly to the quarterfinals to face Tatiana Prozorova.
The tournament also saw the exit of its final Italian contender, as wild card recipient Silvia Ambrosio was defeated in straight sets by Tamara Zidansek. The Slovenian, a 2021 Roland-Garros semifinalist, secured her victory with a 6-2, 7-6 scoreline in one hour and 50 minutes.
“The conditions were difficult, more due to the humidity than the heat,” Zidansek stated. “We played very long rallies with high trajectories. I tried to stay focused, especially in the second set when she was playing more freely. I’m happy I managed to close it out with determination. Every match is a new challenge; you have to stay in the present.”
In the quarterfinals, Zidansek is set to face Austria’s Julia Grabher. Grabher and Great Britain’s Francesca Jones, the No. 3 seed, are the only seeded players remaining in the draw. Jones will compete against Hungary’s Panna Udvardy, who ended the impressive run of 18-year-old Renáta Jamrichová. The Slovak, a former junior world No. 1 and 2023 junior Australian Open and Wimbledon champion, was defeated 6-4, 7-5 in one hour and 37 minutes.
“It was a tough match from the beginning,” Udvardy commented. “Jamrichová served very well, and I had to give my best. I managed to stay solid in the key moments, especially when she became more aggressive. Palermo is a tournament I really enjoy; I love the playing conditions and I’m able to relax off the court as well.”
Friday’s main draw matches will commence at 5:30 PM. In parallel, the tournament will launch the international U-18 Wheelchair event, only the second junior competition of its kind ever held in Italy. The event will feature four young athletes—Andrea Roccano, Lorenzo Politanò, Rino Di Matteo, and Lorenzo Valentini—competing in a round-robin format.
Thursday, July 24 Results
P. Udvardy (HUN) def. [Q] R. Jamrichova (SVK) 6-4, 7-5
[SE] T. Zidansek (SLO) def. [WC] S. Ambrosio (ITA) 6-2, 7-6
Friday, July 25 Schedule
Center Court – From 5:30 PM
H. Vandewinkel (BEL) vs. T. Prozorova
Not before 7:30 PM:
[3] F. Jones (GBR) vs. P. Udvardy (HUN)
[SE] T. Zidansek (SLO) vs. [9] J. Grabher (AUT)
Court 6 – From 5:30 PM
[3] E. Cascino (FRA) / S. Feng (CHN) vs. [2] I. Cho (TPE) / Y. Cho (TPE)
[1] M. Kobori (JPN) / A. Shimizu (JPN) vs. R. Bhosale (IND) / P. Plipuech (THA) or R. Jamrichova (SVK) / T. Wuerth (CRO)
[Q] K. Quevedo (ESP) vs. A. Koevermans (NED)
