Aussies dominating in Strasbourg

Published by AAP

Daria Gavrilova; Getty Images

Three Australian women have surged into the quarterfinals of a WTA event for the first time in 27 years.

Rome quarterfinalist Daria Gavrilova claimed it felt like a Fed Cup camp in the French city of Strasbourg after joining Sam Stosur and Ashleigh Barty in the last eight.

“It’s awesome,” Gavrilova told AAP after outlasting Russian qualifier Elizaveta Kulichkova 6-3 6-7(5) 6-4 to set up a quarterfinal showdown with Barty, a 6-3 6-0 winner over Italian Camila Giorgi.

“It’s a good tournament for us. We’re all like having dinners together and really enjoying our time,” Gavrilova said.

“We’re all playing really well. I’ve come from playing well in Rome and I’m just trying to keep my form. It’s good preparation for Paris because playing matches is much more important and easier than trying to get a practice court in Roland Garros.

“And it’s more stressful there, with so many people. Yeah, it’s a good thing for me to be away from Roland Garros right now, so I’ve made the best decision to play here.”

As has Barty, who backed up after her singles triumph to team with Casey Dellacqua and power into Saturday’s doubles final with a 7-6(2) 6-1 victory over Shuko Aoyama and Zhaoxuan Yang.

“It’s a happy hunting ground for us,” Barty said. “We’ve played here well before and won the title here before so hopefully we can do that again.”

Stosur, the 2015 champion in Strasbourg, Gavrilova and Barty are all staying in the same hotel.

“But not the same room,” Gavrilova noted.

Asked if she planned on having dinner as usual with Barty before their all-Aussie quarterfinal, the fiercely competitive 22-year-old said: “Probably not”.

“If we’re all going, then maybe. I don’t know.

“But I’ve had a big day today so I might have a quiet one, go somewhere in the city, do my laundry and then have a quick bite and then go and sleep. Nothing exciting.

“But playing Ash, it’s going to be fun. She’s so good. I love practising with her. I think I’m not bad playing my friends. I almost enjoy it more.”

Not since Rachel McQuillan, Anne Minter and Kristin Godridge in Moscow in 1990 – five years before Gavrilova was born in the same city – have three Australians reached the quarterfinals of the same WTA event.

Stosur next plays Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro.

Defending champion Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia is also into the quarterfinals after a 6-3 6-3 win over Pole Magda Linette. She faces 25-year-old Czech Kristyna Pliskova next.

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