BOGOTÁ, Colombia - Chilean qualifier Daniela Seguel stunned the Bogotá top seed Tatjana Maria in straight sets to reach her first WTA quarterfinal at the Claro Open Colsanitas.
Ranked just inside the Top 200 at No.191, Seguel opened her Bogotá account with a win over Nicole Gibbs - not only was that her first ever WTA main draw win, but it was also the first time a player from Chile has won a WTA match since Silvana Urroz won in 1980 at Nagoya.
Seguel backed up that victory emphatically, dropping just four games against the top seed Maria, ranked 129 spots higher than her, and notching a 6-3, 6-1 win in just over an hour and 35 minutes.
Victory for Seguel!
The 🇨🇱 qualifier stuns top seed Maria in straight sets @CopaWTABogota! pic.twitter.com/ihTk2lYTwp— WTA (@WTA) April 12, 2018
“I’m very happy I achieved the most important win of my career,” Seguel said in an emotional post-match interview. “I’ve been feeling better as days go by since I arrived Bogotá.
“I’m really proud because I work every day to make history for my country. It’s also a motivation for me to keep improving my WTA ranking; it was one of the main objectives for this part of the season.
“All the effort is dedicated to my father. After he died, my only motivation is him.”
The Chilean was undaunted by her opponent from the very start, bringing up break points on the Maria serve in the very first game. She reeled off four games in a row to break twice - consolidating a hold with her only ace of the match - and getting ahead 5-2. Although Maria managed to grab one of the breaks back, she couldn’t stop the Chilean’s momentum as she quickly closed out the set in the next game.
Seguel continued her rhythm unflinching in the second set, opening with an early break to get ahead 3-0. She reeled off the last three games in a row to see off the top seed in commanding straight sets in just an hour and 35 minutes.
The Chilean overpowered Maria off the ground, firing 21 winners to Maria’s 10. Her aggressive play brought up 16 break opportunities, and she converted on five occasions. Her strong serving kept Maria out of the rallies - she made 76% of first serves - and as a result the German managed just one break across both sets.
Up next, Seguel will take on either No.7 seed Ana Bogdan or Anna Blinkova as she aims for a spot in the Bogotá semifinals.