A spot in the next round is at stake on Friday, when Cristina Bucsa goes up against Iva Jovic in the Guadalajara semifinal. Iva Jovic has won 7 of the last 10. Cristina Bucsa has won 3 in a row and 7 of the last 10 overall.

The serve is where this match separates: Jovic has been winning 62.7% of first-serve points to Bucsa's 58.6%, and on hard that gap compounds fast. The edge belongs to Jovic — real, but not the kind you take for granted at this level.