Lexus Nottingham Open 2026: Maria Bouzkova moves past Hannah Klugman into the quarter-finals
• 3 minute read
Fourth seed Marie Bouzkova defeated British teenager Hannah Klugman in straight sets to continue her bid for a first grass court title.
The Czech star battled through a strong challenge from the 17-year-old, sealing a 7-5, 6-2 victory in one hour and 42 minutes in their first meeting.
Waiting for Bouzkova in the quarter-finals is 2025 HSBC Championships winner Tatjana Maria who’s had straight set wins against Janice Tjen and Dayana Yastremska.
“It was a super difficult match, I think Hannah played super well, she has such a great future ahead of her. I think grass will suit her for sure, we could see that today, it was a really tough match. I had to dig really deep so I’m really happy I could get through this and enjoy this match.
“Obviously I would love to get a title on grass but it’s a long way to go and obviously tomorrow it’s going to be another tough match. Tatjana loves the grass - it’s going to be really tough but I’m looking forward to it and hopefully we can have a good match.
It was a fairytale debut for Klugman who was brought into the main draw as a lucky loser on Monday morning after she missed out in the final round of qualifying.
Klugman achieved her first Tour-level win when she defeated compatriot Harriet Dart in the first round to become the youngest British player to win a WTA Tour main draw match since a 16-year-old Laura Robson won at Birmingham in 2010.
Speaking after the match, the Brit - who has also received a main draw wild card for Wimbledon in just a couple of weeks time - found the positives and is looking forward to the next events.
"Today was good, obviously she's a top 30 player so to show that my level's there at times is very positive.
"She's such a solid player but also with good quality so I really struggled with that, but there's glimpses of some good stuff in there from me so there's so many positives to take."
"I think mentally I was great today. Also the crowd was amazing, playing at home is always special. I'm planning to play at Eastbourne and then Wimbledon so hopefully we can keep going up, that's the plan!"
After falling behind an early break, Klugman hit back to level the opening set, converting her second break point with an impressive forehand winner down the line before saving two of her own to hold serve.
Both players came through a series of tough service games, but Bouzkova found the crucial break at 6-5 and served out the set. The Czech was particularly strong behind her first serve, winning 31 of 38 points and causing difficulty for Klugman.
Bouzkova carried that momentum into the second set, opening up a 5-1 lead despite some strong tennis from the British teenager.
Klugman - who is ranked 482 places lower than her opponent - held onto the match with a late hold, but Bouzkova sealed victory on her first match point to reach her fourth quarter-final of the season.
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