Vandewinkel beats Urhobo 7-5 6-4 in Cincinnati qualifying

Hanne Vandewinkel came through the Cincinnati qualifying semifinals in straight sets, taking a tight opener 7-5 before closing out the second 6-4 against Akasha Urhobo. The Belgian's edge came behind her first delivery: she landed 55.9 percent of them and won 76.3 percent of those points, while Urhobo found the court only 50 percent of the time and converted just 58.3 percent behind her first serve. Both players struck three aces and both coughed up seven double faults, and Vandewinkel won only 40 percent of her second-serve points, but the American could not punish it. The win put her one step from the main draw.