It was a day to forget for almost all the seeded players except for Monica Niculescu. The Romanian was the only player to escape the culling posting a straight sets victory over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. Jana Cepelova got the biggest scalp of the day knocking out top seed Irina-Camelia Begu in three sets. Kristina Mladenovic also followed suit despite having a one-set lead while Kirsten Flipkens bowed out in straight sets.
Cepelova knocks out defending champion
After exchanging a couple of breaks each, Cepelova reeled off three straight games to grab an edgy first set. The second set was a tighter affair before Begu stepped up the pressure to find a late break converting her fifth chance in the mammoth ninth game for a 5-4 lead and forcing a decider.
The defending champion started off the third set strongly finding an early break and striding to a 3-1 lead. The Slovak, however, redeemed the break to level for 3-3 and the momentum started to shift. Cepelova kept toe to toe with the Romanian before conjuring up a break point and capitalized for a crucial 5-3 lead. Begu could not come back from the deficit as the Slovak went on to complete the upset closing out a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 win.
Sixth seed Flipkens heads out
Patricia Maria Tig earned her first chance to break in the third game and was quick to pounce on it to take the lead. With the next few games going the way of the server, it looked like Flipkens would find it hard to recover the break. However, the opportunity presented itself to her in a mammoth eighth game. The Romanian put on a great fight to deny the Belgian on three occasions but she eventually succumbed and Flipkens broke back for 4-4. Flipkens, however, could not ride on the momentum, losing her next game allowing Tig to close out the first set on her own serve.
The second set saw more breaks with a trio of breaks from the third game saw Tig regain a 3-2 lead. However, it wasn’t long before Flipkens came charging back to level 4-4. The Romanian did not let it set it back as like in the first set she found the break again yet again like in the first set to lead 5-4. With the match on her racket, Tig almost stumbled as Flipkens threatened to break back. Alas, Tig stood firm to deny the sixth seed and seal a 6-4, 6-4 victory.
Mladenovic defeated in three
The fourth seed was up against Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo. Mladenovic was in control for most parts of the first set capitalizing on poor serving from the Spaniard to take the set in commanding fashion. However, errors started to creep into her game while Sorribes Tormo was finding her rhythm. The 139th ranked Spaniard came right back into the match as she snatched the second set.
The Frenchwoman regrouped and gained a 2-0 lead in the decider. However, it was short-lived and as the set progressed both players found it hard to hold serve. As Sorribes Tormo found yet another break for 4-3, she finally held to consolidate the break of serve. And even though Mladenovic held onto her serve to put pressure on the Spaniard, Sorribes Tormo stood up to the task finishing a 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory.
Niculescu cruises into the quarterfinals
Schmiedlova struggles with back-to-back match wins continued. Trying to give one last push in the Asian swing this season, the Slovak looking to reach her first quarterfinal of the year went up against fifth seed Niculescu. After a shaky start, the Romanian steadied the ship and sealed the first set 6-2. It was all going downhill for the Slovak though who trailed 0-3 in the second set. Schmiedlova did manage to pull back one of the breaks but Niculescu was able to hang on to her lead before breaking once more to power away for a convincing 6-2, 6-2 win.
Day five
Day five will see the quarterfinals contested at the Korea Open with just three seeds remaining in the draw.