Tuesday at the Singapore Tennis Open had a little bit of everything: a three-set thriller, emphatic straight-set wins, dramatic comebacks and plenty of noise from the OCBC Arena as the WTA 500 tournament moved deeper into the week.
The biggest drama came courtesy of Barbora Krejčíková, who survived a rollercoaster against German qualifier Anna-Lena Friedsam, while Wang Xinyu and Alycia Parks powered through their respective matches. Maria Sakkari also booked her place in the next round, while Tatiana Prozorova fought back from a difficult position to set up a meeting with regional favourite Alexandra Eala.
There was also a significant change to the draw, with second seed Amanda Anisimova withdrawing from the tournament with a left wrist injury. Lucky loser Viktoria Morvayova takes her place.
The match of the day belonged to Barbora Krejčíková, who needed every bit of her Grand Slam experience to overcome Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-0, 5-7, 7-6(4).
On paper, the Czech entered as the clear favourite. Ranked No. 44, Krejčíková is a two-time Grand Slam champion, while Friedsam came into the tournament ranked No. 266. But the German qualifier proved more than capable of turning the match into a battle.
After losing the opening set 6-0, Friedsam steadily found her rhythm and turned the contest around. Krejčíková led 5-2 in the second before Friedsam fought back to take the set, and the third became an equally dramatic affair.
Krejčíková found herself 5-3 down and facing two match points. She saved both, then broke back and eventually found herself serving for the match at 6-5 — only to be broken again.
It all came down to the tiebreak, where Krejčíková finally took control at 4-3 before closing out the contest 7-4. For a player looking to rediscover her momentum, it was an important win — and one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament so far.
Wang Xinyu needed just over an hour to dispatch Donna Vekić 6-1, 6-2, producing one of the day’s most convincing performances. The Chinese player was aggressive from the start, taking time away from Vekić and keeping control of the rallies. She now moves on to face qualifier Joanna Garland.
“I would say it was a very clean match. I really served well, returned well, and I took the time away from her,” Wang said afterwards.
That aggressive approach is something she has been working on throughout the season. “From the beginning, I was really sure of what I wanted to do on court. Not to just react to the shots she gave me. Instead, I was really trying to compose my game.”
Wang also clearly feels at home in Singapore. Having reached the semifinals and doubles final at the tournament previously, she said the crowd and the city’s multicultural character made returning particularly special. “It’s just the crowd here; they’re amazing, they’re so cute,” she said. “And I’m just really happy to be back.”
Alycia Parks also moved into the next round, beating lucky loser Mei Yamaguchi 6-4, 6-3 despite a less-than-perfect serving day. Parks had to work through eight double faults and landed just 45 per cent of her first serves, but her power from the baseline proved decisive. She repeatedly found ways to recover when Yamaguchi threatened, including a crucial run at the end of the first set.
The American will now face Leylah Fernandez, setting up one of the more intriguing contests of the next round. Parks is clearly enjoying her time in Singapore, too. Asked about the city, she admitted that food was high on her list.
“I’m a foodie,” she said, adding that she is particularly fond of Korean barbecue. She has also been eyeing Singapore’s shops, although she is apparently saving her serious shopping for a vintage-shopping trip to Osaka.
One of the day’s more dramatic comebacks came from Tatiana Prozorova, who overturned a 7-5, 4-2 deficit against Belgium’s Sofia Costoulas to win and set up a second-round meeting with Alexandra Eala.
The 180th-ranked Prozorova admitted that the match was demanding both mentally and physically, but said she managed to adjust her mindset and keep applying pressure.
Now comes a very different challenge. Describing Eala, Prozorova said the young Filipino star is aggressive and exceptionally difficult to pin down.
“She’s like an octopus,” she joked. “She runs from side to side, and she puts a lot of pressure on her opponent.”
For Eala, who has emerged as one of the tournament’s major regional attractions, the match offers another test as her Singapore campaign gathers momentum.
Maria Sakkari also advanced, recovering from an early 2-4 deficit against Linda Fruhvirtova before taking control of the match 6-4, 6-1. The Greek star will next face Japanese qualifier Nao Hibino.
Sakkari was particularly appreciative of the atmosphere inside the OCBC Arena, thanking the fans who stayed late and brought their children to watch. “You’re a very loud crowd, and thank you for staying with me,” she said. “It’s a special place to play.”
Her message to fans was simple: rankings count for very little once the match begins. “Every match is tough. You have to be careful and play your best game to beat those players,” she said.
The tournament’s top seed, Mirra Andreeva, finally makes her Singapore debut on Wednesday, facing Aliaksandra Sasnovich, who impressed in her earlier victory over Daria Kasatkina.
Defending champion and fourth seed Elise Mertens will also begin her campaign, adding another major name to an increasingly busy schedule.
There is plenty happening away from the match court, too. Alexandra Eala, currently ranked World No. 18, will appear at a public Q&A session at 4.30pm on Wednesday at Gate 6 of the National Stadium at The Kallang. The session gives fans an opportunity to meet one of the tournament’s most talked-about young stars.
After another day of twists and comebacks, the Singapore Tennis Open is beginning to take shape — and with the top seeds now entering the action, the stakes are only getting higher.
Photo Credit: WTA, Ashok Kumar
Singapore Tennis Open 2026 runs from 19th to 27th September at The Kallang. Tickets, including ACES Club hospitality packages, are available through The Kallang, with limited weekday tickets remaining.
