Day 3 of the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Athens Open brought the first Round of 16 clashes on the center court. The crowd enjoyed excellent tennis, and the favorites justified their status without major issues, securing their spots in the next phase of the competition.
Zheng Breaks Micic’s Resistance in the First Set
The program on the center court was opened by Chinese tennis player Qinwen Zheng and young Australian of Serbian descent, Elena Micic. Micic, who proudly represented Serbia in junior categories before deciding to play under the Australian flag, was defeated 0-2 in sets (4-6, 1-6).
The young Australian put up quite a solid resistance against the experienced Chinese player in the first set, keeping the score close. However, in the second set, Micic’s game completely fell apart, which a quality player like Zheng ruthlessly punished, quickly bringing the match to an end.
- This Round of 16 duel lasted 1 hour and 16 minutes.
- The first set took 46 minutes of play, while the second was completed in just 30 minutes.
- Zheng was absolutely dominant on her serve, recording 13 aces, compared to only 1 ace by Micic.
- The Chinese player converted 4 out of 6 offered break points.
- The Australian failed to earn a single break opportunity throughout the match (0/0).
- In total, Zheng won 64 points, while Micic won 49 points.
A Greek Night to Remember: Sakkari Rolls Over Dart
In the prime evening slot, in front of packed stands that gave her incredible tailwind on every point, home star Maria Sakkari (fourth seed) didn’t leave even a glimmer of hope for Brit Harriet Dart. Carried by the wonderful Greek crowd, Sakkari rolled over her opponent with a score of 2-0 (6-1, 6-2).
- The Greek player finished the job in a rapid 1 hour and 12 minutes.
- Sakkari recorded 1 ace, while her opponent had none.
- The home player constantly pressured her opponent’s serve, converting 5 out of 9 break points.
- The Brit managed to convert 1 out of the 2 break opportunities she had.
- Sakkari’s absolute dominance is also confirmed by the total of 57 points won, compared to the 33 points gathered by Dart.
Experience Prevails in the Duel of Young Hopes
The final match of the day on the center court was reserved for a duel between young tennis players, where 18-year-old Austrian qualifier Lilli Tagger and 20-year-old fifth seed from the Czech Republic, Sara Bejlek, measured their strengths. Bejlek won 2-0 (6-2, 6-2).
The Czech, who is currently ranked much higher as the 42nd player on the WTA list, showed her class and easily defeated the Austrian teenager, currently the 84th player in the world. The difference in experience at a higher level of competition was more than obvious.
- The encounter ended in 1 hour and 11 minutes.
- Bejlek was relentless when given the opportunity, converting as many as 7 out of 8 break points.
- The Austrian converted all of her break chances (3/3) but suffered too many broken serves to threaten her opponent.
- The Czech won 60 points, while Tagger finished the match with 36 points won.
Other Notable Results
In an extremely tense match played on an adjacent court, American tennis player Alycia Parks managed to turn the score around after losing the first set in a tie-break and defeated Japanese player Mai Hontama 2-1 (6-7, 6-2, 7-5).
You can find all the results, the main draw, and the complete schedule on our central WTA Athens Open 2026 Hub.
