Stakusic, Marino Advance to Round of 16 in Guadalajara
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By Heidi Specter
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Summary:
- Marina Stakusic battled past Polina Kudermetova 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 at the Guadalajara Open in a match delayed by heavy rain.
- Rebecca Marino was consistent start to finish and obtained a 6-2, 6-3 win over Italy’s Martina Trevisan.
- Both Canadians will face seeded opponents in Wednesday’s round of 16.
Canadian tennis fans had plenty to cheer about Tuesday in Guadalajara, as two of the country’s players who delivered the Billie Jean King Cup triumph in 2023 powered through their opening matches to move into the round of 16 at the Guadalajara Open.
Stakusic Made an Excellent Comeback After the Break
Mississauga’s Marina Stakusic, just 20 years old and playing as a wild card, battled through a grueling, rain-interrupted contest against Russia’s Polina Kudermetova. The match stretched two hours and 29 minutes and featured big swings in momentum before Stakusic finally pulled it out 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.
The Canadian, who started playing tennis when she was five, was in serious trouble in the third set, trailing 3-1. By the time rain forced the game to halt, the scoreboard was showing 4-4. That pause worked well in her favor, as she came back to court looking sharp and focused, eventually sealing the victory by taking the final two games.
Kudermetova, on the other hand, had the edge in some areas, finishing ahead in aces (5-3), while also committing fewer double faults (14-9) and unforced errors (33-30).
However, Stakusic’s resilience told the story. The player whose brother Marko is also a pro player landed 66% of her first serves and managed to capture both eight service games and eight return games.
Her ability to convert key moments proved to be decisive, as she won eight of 13 break points while fending off six of 14 break chances from her opponent.
The reward for her gritty effort is a showdown on Wednesday with Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, the tournament’s third seed, in what promises to be one of the toughest challenges of her young career.
Marino Won in 73 Minutes
Meanwhile, Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino made far lighter work of her opener against Italian wild card Martina Trevisan. The 33-year-old Canadian came out firing and controlled the match from start to finish, cruising to a 6-2, 6-3 victory in just 73 minutes.
Her power was on full display with 11 aces, though she also tallied five double faults and 11 unforced errors. Even so, Marino dominated the key stats, winning seven service games and five return games.
She converted five of her eight break points and held a 65% winning percentage on first serves, comfortably ahead of Trevisan’s 47%.
Next up for Marino is Germany’s Tatjana Maria, the tournament’s sixth seed, with their clash also set for Wednesday.
Can the two women make it to the finals and make it an all Canadian Final? Get the latest odds for 2025 Guadalajara Open tournament.
