MATCH POINTS
No.2 seed Kristina Mladenovic defeated Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-4, 7-6(4) in their only previous meeting, in the third round of Eastbourne 2016. Both players are bidding for their first quarterfinal of the season; a win for Friedsam would mark her third WTA quarterfinal since returning from a second shoulder surgery last February, following Nurnberg and Palermo last year.
No.7 seed Daria Kasatkina and qualifier Irina Bara have never met at pro level - though they did play once in juniors, in the quarterfinals of the 2012 Grade 2 clay event in Cap d'Ail, with Bara winning 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. Kasatkina is aiming to reach her second quarterfinal in the past 12 months (alongside Beijing in October), while Bara is seeking her second career WTA quarterfinal following Jurmala last July.
Qualifier Jaqueline Cristian scored the first Top 50 scalp of her career over Veronika Kudermetova in Fed Cup Qualifier action last month - and since then has surged, winning 11 of her last 12 matches including a title run at the Trnava ITF W25 three weeks ago. The 21-year-old Romanian, who was the champion at Les Petits As in 2012, has lost just 10 games in three matches in Lyon so far, posting a bagel set in each, and will bid for her first Top 10 win and maiden WTA quarterfinal against No.1 seed Sofia Kenin.
Tereza Martincova will go for her first WTA quarterfinal since her semifinal showing at Gstaad 2017, and fourth overall, in a first meeting with No.8 seed Viktoria Kuzmova.
ORDER OF PLAY
CENTRAL (starts 12 noon)
[8] Viktoria KUZMOVA (SVK) vs Tereza MARTINCOVA (CZE)
[7/WC] Daria KASATKINA (RUS) vs [Q] Irina BARA (ROU)
[1] Sofia KENIN (USA) vs [Q] Jaqueline CRISTIAN (ROU)
Not before 6.30pm
Anna-Lena FRIEDSAM (GER) vs [2] Kristina MLADENOVIC (FRA)
Vera LAPKO (BLR) / Lidziya MAROZAVA (BLR) vs Marta KOSTYUK (UKR) / Viktoria KUZMOVA (SVK)
COURT 1 (starts 2pm)
Lesley PATTINAMA KERKHOVE (NED) / Bibiane SCHOOFS (NED) vs [2] Aleksandra KRUNIC (SRB) / Katarina SREBOTNIK (SLO)
Not before 3.30pm
[4] Andreea MITU (ROU) / Raluca OLARU (ROU) vs Vitalia DIATCHENKO (RUS) / Natela DZALAMIDZE (RUS)
