MATCH POINTS

No.1 seed Viktoria Kuzmova snapped a four-match losing streak in the first round this week, and is now bidding to reach her first semifinal since Auckland in January. The Slovak saved two match points in the second round against Greet Minnen - the third time she has won from match point down in 2019, the joint most of any player in WTA main draws alongside Donna Vekic and Alison Riske.

Anna Kalinskaya is bidding for her second WTA semifinal in her last three tournaments, having made her last-four debut in Washington last month. The 20-year-old defeated Katarina Zavatska 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in their only pro meeting to date, in Stuttgart qualifying this year, as well as a 6-4, 6-1 win in the third round of a junior Grade 1 event in Beaulieu-sur-Mer in 2014. Zavatska is also contesting her second WTA-level quarterfinal following Rabat 2018, and the 19-year-old is seeking to make her semifinal debut.

No.3 seed Alison Van Uytvanck has yet to concede a set to Pauline Parmentier in two previous meetings, winning 6-1, 6-3 in their Fed Cup first-round rubber in 2018 and 6-4, 6-3 in the first round of Rabat this year.

No.8 seed Sorana Cirstea is playing her third WTA quarterfinal of the year, and is looking to make her second semifinal following a last-four run in Nurnberg. The Romanian leads Danka Kovinic 2-1, having won their last two encounters - both in 2016, in the Rio de Janeiro quarterfinals and the second round of Madrid - in straight sets. Kovinic has made her first quarterfinal since Tianjin 2016; the Montenegrin former World No.46 was the Bastad 125K runner-up in July, and has also won two ITF titles and reached a further two finals as she seeks to return to the Top 100.

2007 champion Pauline Parmentier, 2008 champion Sorana Cirstea and 2016 champion Kristyna Pliskova are all bidding to become the Tashkent Open's first multiple titlist in the tournament's 21st and final year. Only five players have reached the final twice in its history: 2000 champion and 2006 runner-up Iroda Tulyaganova (now the tournament director); 2013 champion and 2014 runner-up Bojana Jovanovski Petrovic; 2015 champion and 2016 runner-up Nao Hibino; 2005 and 2009 finalist Akgul Amanmuradova; and 2012 and 2015 finalist Donna Vekic.

ORDER OF PLAY

CENTER (starts 10am)
Anna KALINSKAYA (RUS) vs Katarina ZAVATSKA (UKR)
[8] Sorana CIRSTEA (ROU) vs Danka KOVINIC (MNE)
[1] Viktoria KUZMOVA (SVK) vs [5] Kristyna PLISKOVA (CZE)
[3] Alison VAN UYTVANCK (BEL) vs Pauline PARMENTIER (FRA)

COURT 2 (starts 12.30pm)
Sharon FICHMAN (CAN) / Tatjana MARIA (GER) vs [2] Irina-Camelia BEGU (ROU) / Lidziya MAROZAVA (BLR)
[1] Anna KALINSKAYA (RUS) / Viktoria KUZMOVA (SVK) vs Harriet DART (GBR) / Danka KOVINIC (MNE)