Qualifiers Julieta Pareja and Raluka Serban both achieved significant victories in the first round of the Copa Colsanitas Zurich on Tuesday.
American Julieta Pareja, at just 16 years old, became the first player born in 2009 to not only compete in a WTA main draw but also to win a match at this level. She accomplished this by defeating Colombian wild card Maria Jose Sanchez Uribe, also 16, with a score of 6-1, 6-1 in 1 hour and 16 minutes. This match marked the WTA main-draw debut for both players. It was also the first WTA main-draw match between two players under the age of 17 since Prague in 2009.
Currently ranked No. 550, Pareja is the highest-ranked player born in 2009 in the PIF WTA Rankings. Last year, she reached the final qualifying round of the US Open as a wild card and won her first ITF title at the Rancho Santa Fe W15.
This week in Bogota, Pareja qualified by defeating Carol Zhao and Eva Vedder in straight sets. Her next opponent is lucky loser Patricia Maria Tig, who defeated Emiliana Arango. If Pareja wins against Tig, she will become the youngest WTA quarterfinalist since Linda Fruhvirtova in 2021.
Earlier in the day, Raluka Serban, ranked No. 204, made history as the first player from Cyprus to win a tour-level match. She defeated Nuria Parrizas Diaz 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in 2 hours and 5 minutes. This was Serban`s third WTA main draw appearance. Serban`s best Grand Slam performance was reaching the final qualifying round at Roland Garros last year.
Serban, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 152 in 2023, is the only Cypriot player to be ranked in the Top 300 and one of only two currently holding a WTA ranking. Her next match is against No. 1 seed Marie Bouzkova.
Hanna Chang also celebrated her WTA main-draw debut with a victory, defeating Varvara Lepchenko 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 in an all-American first-round match.
Defending champion Camila Osorio advanced with a win over Mariana Isabel Higuita Barraza. Tatjana Maria won a very long match against Chloe Paquet, lasting 3 hours and 25 minutes.
Iva Jovic, 17, became the second American teenager to reach the second round by defeating Alycia Parks. Jovic is yet to lose a first-round match at tour level in her four main draw appearances. She will next play Julia Riera, who advanced after Francesca Jones retired due to injury.
Rupert Caldwell