MATCH POINTS

In her first tournament following a six-and-a-half month hiatus to recover from a knee injury, Svetlana Kuznetsova has made her first quarterfinal since becoming Washington champion last August. The Russian former World No.2 lost to Kristyna Pliskova in their only previous meeting 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of Wimbledon 2015 - the Czech's second career Top 30 win and the first time (out of two so far) that she has reached the third round of a Grand Slam.

All three other quarterfinals are first-time meetings, and each features one player bidding for her first WTA semifinal. Veronika Kudermetova is playing her fourth quarterfinal at this level - all in the past year, having previously reached the last eight in 's-Hertogenbosch and Gstaad last year and Shenzhen in January. Fiona Ferro's sole past WTA quarterfinal was in Guangzhou last year, and Iga Swiatek is making her debut at this stage of a WTA tournament.

Neither of last year's finalists, Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka, entered Lugano this year - but both of last year's losing semifinalists, Vera Lapko (the last remaining seed) and Stefanie Voegele (the last remaining home hope), are still alive. This tournament was a breakthrough one for Lapko last year, who reached her maiden (and so far only) WTA semifinal as a qualifier and would break the Top 100 the following month.

17-year-old Iga Swiatek, the reigning Wimbledon girls' champion, is the youngest quarterfinalist. The Pole is playing just the third WTA main draw of her career, and scored her first Top 50 win in upsetting No.3 seed Viktoria Kuzmova in the second round.
Fiona Ferro and Vera Lapko have both turned their 2019 form around to reach the quarterfinals. Ferro had been 0-3 in WTA main draws, and 4-8 overall, coming into Lugano, while Lapko snapped a seven-match losing streak stretching back to Hobart this week.

Only three players remaining in the draw have lifted a WTA trophy before: 18-time titlist Svetlana Kuznetsova, 2011-12 Bastad champion Polona Hercog and 2016 Tashkent winner Kristyna Pliskova.

ORDER OF PLAY (starts 11am)

CENTRE COURT
Veronika KUDERMETOVA (RUS) vs Polona HERCOG (SLO)
Stefanie VOEGELE (SUI) vs Fiona FERRO (FRA)
Iga SWIATEK (POL) vs Vera LAPKO (BLR) [8]
Sorana CIRSTEA (ROU) / Andreea MITU (ROU) [3] vs [WC] Timea BACSINSZKY (SUI) / Ylena IN-ALBON (SUI)
Not before 6pm
Kristyna PLISKOVA (CZE) vs [WC] Svetlana KUZNETSOVA (RUS)