By Ros Satar
- Francesca Jones def Nuria Parrizas Diaz 7-6(3) 6-1
- Jones faces Canada’s Carol Zhao next
- H2H: First Meeting
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA – Francesca Jones scores a solid win over the No. 3 seed Nuria Parrizas Diaz to reach the second round in Bogota.
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Francesca Jones def Nuria Parrizas Diaz 7-6(3) 6-1
Having been side-lined for most of 2022, Francesca Jones has been steadily working her way back and since February, has been firmly entrenched in ITF clay court tournaments, reaching the Tucuman ITF quarter-final in February.
The first set was a tense affair with the pair trading breaks throughout to force a tie-break, but once Jones nudged ahead, it soon became one way traffic to take the lead.
That momentum continued for Jones, who swiftly took control of the second set, turning in a famous victory on her second match point.
Jones v Carol Zhao | H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Francesca Jones v Carol Zhao | H2H: First Meeting |
| WTA Bogota | Colombia |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: $3,920 |
| First on Cancha 2 at 11am (5pm BST) | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (Clay 2023 (WTA Level only)
| H2H: | Francesca Jones (WR 817) | Carol Zhao (WR 174) |
| Tournament Previous Best | Debut | 2018 (R1) |
| 1st Serve Return Points Won % | 57.1 | 35.5 |
| Return Points Won % | 56.9 | 46.4 |
| Break Point Conversion % | 60 | 54.5 |
| Break Points Saved % | 63.6 | 52.2 |
| Total Points Won % | 55.6 | 48.2 |
Don’t let Jones’ low ranking, having missed most of 2022 fool you. Her time on ITF clay might not be reflected in the recent stats, but she has been honing her return skills, and her general tenacity has put her ahead of her higher ranked opponent.
Playing Styles & Prediction
Jones’ affinity with clay is routed in her time at the Sanchez-Casals Academy in Barcelona, and when you factor in Zhou’s pretty woeful year so far, Jones’ physical game will see her try to grind down the Canadian. Heaven help Zhao if Jones’ confidence in her forehand is high, as her game comes together and she can dominate, as she did to Parrizas Diaz, given half a chance.
Prediction: Jones in three sets.
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