GAIBA, Italy , 15 Jun (AP) — Top-seeded Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium needed just 45 minutes to ease into the quarterfinals of the Veneto Open, beating compatriot Ysaline Bonaventure 6-2, 6-2 on Wednesday.
She will next face Ylena In-Albon, who beat Swiss compatriot Susan Bandecchi 6-3, 6-3.
Third-seeded Lucia Bronzetti and fifth-seeded Arantxa Rus were eliminated. Bronzetti lost 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 to Harmony Tan of France and Romanian player Ana Bogdan defeated Rus 6-3, 7-6 (5).
Tan will play Bogdan in the quarterfinals.
The Veneto Open is taking place in Gaiba, a town of less than 1,000 inhabitants — making it the smallest town in the world to host a WTA tournament.
It is the first WTA tournament played on natural grass in Italy and organizers are using former soccer fields for the courts. The host tennis club has been nicknamed “Gaibledon” in homage to Wimbledon.