A rare occurrence on the WTA circuit, two sisters find themselves in the quarter-finals of the same tournament, in this case the one in Seoul. The two young women could even face each other in the semi-finals.
They don’t have the track record of the Williams sisters, but Veronika and Polina Kudermetova both qualified for the quarter-finals of the Seoul tournament on Wednesday. This is the first time that they will both be present at this stage of the competition in the same WTA tournament. The eldest, Veronika, 27 and former world number 9 in 2022, defeated her Russian compatriot Liudmila Samsonova in two sets 6-4, 6-2. Polina, 21, beaten in qualifying but repêched thanks to the withdrawal of Magdalena Frech, won 6-2, 7-5 against Ekaterina Alexandrova, seeded number 7, in another 100% Russian duel.
“We train together all the time”confided the youngest, who assures “continuously learning”. “It was a great experience because Veronika was world number 9. And I’m just climbing the rankings now,” assures the world number 163. “Our mother is here too”continues Veronika, happy to experience this tournament with her family. “We go out to dinner together every night. You don’t feel as much stress when your family is around.”she confided. If they both qualify, the two sisters will meet in the semifinals. They have never faced each other on the WTA circuit.
