Catherine Bellis and Lauren Davis both enjoyed victories on Tuesday at the 2017 Duty Free Tennis Championships in dubai, an event on the women's tour that builds up toward Indian Wells and Miami. Bellis, who is only seventeen years old, defeated Laura Siegemund in a match that featured two close sets. The final line score in the contest was 7-5, 7-6 for Bellis. Davis also advanced however she was extended to a third set before winning 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Bellis faces Radwanska next
Next up for Bellis is what promises to be a challenging match. The young American, who won in Honolulu back in December, will face Agnieszka Radwanska.
Radwanska has not been playing her best tennis so far to start the 2017 season, however she is still seeded 4th in Dubai. If the Polish player comes out strong then it will take a lot for Bellis to keep her tournament alive.
Davis, who already has a title this season, will next face Ekaterina Makarova of Russia. Makarova is a player who was playing stronger tennis a few seasons ago compared to what she is playing right now, however she remains more proven than Davis. At this point in each player's career their round-of-16 contest on Wednesday has to be considered an open match.
Christina McHale also advanced
Another American that advanced on Tuesday was Christina McHale. She is into the round of sixteen following a Monday victory over seeded player Kiki Bertens.
McHale added a win in the Dubai draw on Tuesday over Naomi Osaka. The line score in her most recent match was 6-3, 6-4.
McHale will likely face Elina Svitolina in the next round. The Ukrainian was up one set to love and two breaks in the second set in the final round-of-32 match to be played. Svitolina is likely to defeat McHale, however the American does stand a fighting chance in the contest as the Ukrainian struggles with consistency sometimes.
All and all, America's chances in the Dubai event do not look to be too promising. Angelique Kerber, Monica Puig, Caroline Wozniacki, and Radwanska look dangerous in the draw. American Coco Vandeweghe fell early in the tournament, a poor follow-up to her Australian Open semifinal run. However with three American players remaining in the draw, perhaps the USA will yet be represented in the final.
