Lilli Tagger advanced to the quarterfinals of the WTA 250 tournament in Osaka alongside doubles partner Isabelle Haverlag, securing a 7-6(4), 4:6, 10:6 victory over the pairing of Fossa Huergo and Pilpuech. The 18-year-old’s doubles success on the hard courts of Japan follows a straight-sets singles win over Liudmila Samsonova a day earlier.

Tie-breaks decide a tight Osaka doubles battle

Tagger and Haverlag built an early 5-3 lead in the opening set before failing to convert immediately. They recovered to take the subsequent tie-break 7:4. After dropping the second set 4:6, the Austrian-Dutch tandem held their nerve through a series of mini-breaks in the deciding match tie-break to seal the contest on their first match point at 10:6.

Quarterfinal test awaits against Neel and Olmos

In the next round of the Osaka draw, Tagger and Haverlag face the third-seeded pairing of Neel and Olmos, who represent Estonia and Mexico respectively. The matchup puts the young Austrian up against a tested international duo as she continues a busy multi-format week at the WTA 250 event.

Singles momentum builds alongside doubles run

Tagger’s week in Osaka began with a notable singles victory, defeating fifth-seeded Ludmila Samsonova 6:3, 6:3 in just one hour and thirteen minutes. That performance marked a turnaround after three consecutive singles defeats for the 18-year-old, who currently sits at world No. 57 while Samsonova occupies No. 43. Tagger did not face a single break point on her serve during the straight-sets win over Samsonova, who reached No. 12 in the singles rankings in 2023. In the round of 16, Tagger will face either Czech player Tereza Valentova, ranked No. 88, or China’s Zhang Shuai, ranked No. 85.

Sinja Kraus joins countrywoman in Osaka success

Fellow Austrian competitor Sinja Kraus also advanced in Osaka after coming through the qualifying rounds, defeating Sofia Kenin 7:6(4), 6:4 in a qualifier that lasted one hour and 38 minutes. Kraus followed that up in the main draw by advancing past Caty McNally, who retired due to injury when trailing 6:4, 3:1. Kraus previously reached the round of 16 in Beijing before losing in three sets to Nikola Bartunkova, and her current ranking ensures her a direct spot in the main draw of the 2027 Australian Open. Additionally, she sits at No. 76 in the live rankings, with further wins in Osaka threatening to push her to a new career high.