Rising Stars Shake Up Bracket; Doubles Play Begins

After a popcorn-worthy Day 2, all signs point to another thrilling day of tennis as the AUSTIN125 rolls into Day 3. Top seed Iva Jovic continued her dominant form, dispatching Anna-Lena Friedsam 6–2, 6–1, dropping only three games in total. The 17-year-old phenom is on a mission to add another title to her impressive 2025 résumé.

Qualifier Mary Lewis extended her fairy-tale run, defeating local wild card Jennifer Jackson to reach the Round of 16. The pair will now team up in doubles — making for a fun twist as yesterday’s opponents become today’s partners.

It was also a strong day for Claire Liu, Kayla Cross, and Anastasia Gasanova who battled through tight three-setters to earn their spots in the Round of 16. Varvara Lepchenko and Ellie Mandlik made quick work of their matches, each dropping fewer than three games in convincing wins.

In the biggest win of her career, former Texas Longhorn and Wildcard Malaika Rapolu stunned No. 2 seed Alycia Parks to claim her first-ever Top 100 victory and first WTA Tour win. “It just feels amazing to get my best win so far at home and my first WTA win!” said Rapolu, beaming after the match. The Austin crowd roared as Rapolu booked her spot in the Round of 16, where she’ll look to keep her momentum rolling.

Marina Stakusic continued her strong form, taking down No. 4 seed Caroline Dolehide in straight sets. The 19-year-old Canadian, who helped lead her country to its first Billie Jean King Cup title in 2023, will focus on a deep run in Austin before turning her attention to representing Team Canada in Monterrey, México next week.

Japan’s Himeno Sakatsume blazed through her match with a 6–0, 6–0 victory in just 56 minutes, marking the tournament’s fastest match so far.

In contrast, Anastasia Gasanova battled for three hours and twenty-nine minutes to claim a hard-fought 3–6, 7–5, 6–2 victory over Cadence Brace. Down 5–4 in the second set and just two points from defeat, Gasanova held her nerve and stormed back, winning nine of the next eleven games to complete the comeback.

In doubles action, top seeds Maria Kozyreva and Iryna Shymanovich take on Alana Smith and Catherine Harrison in the third scheduled match on Center Court. Harrison, who calls Austin home, and frequently trains at the Austin Tennis Academy, will have the local crowd behind her in what promises to be a thrilling showdown between the Americans and the No. 1 seeds.