The young Russian beat Pera 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 in the quarterfinals, setting up a semifinals match with fellow young player Akugue.
Prior to downing Pera, she also defeated Polina Kurdemetova 6-0, 4-6, 6-1, and 5th-seeded Julia Grabher 6-4, 6-2 earlier in the tournament.
The young Russian is a sort of trailblazer in her way. Saying:
“I never thought about inspirations,” she said.
“My parents always said you need to find your own style, just like you need to find your own tennis game. You can watch to be inspired but for yourself, it needs to be your own.”
She is a left-handed player and says she has a more aggressive playing style than other players.
“Left-handers that hit a big ball like I do? Very tricky to think,” she said.
“Rafael Nadal is left-handed, but it’s not [the] same style that I do on court. I’m playing a bit more aggressive. Carlos Alcaraz does play very aggressive, but he’s right-handed. Petra Kvitova is left-handed and powerful but she hits more flat.”
Akugue, for her part, beat Martina Trevisan 5-7, 6-4, 7-5. This tournament marks Akugue’s first WTA main draw debut. She is a Hamburg local and is of Nigerian descent.
“I’m feeling good, I’m also proud,” she said after her win.
“I’m happy with my efforts today. It was emotional for me today and I just tried to fight and fight to the end.”
This is becoming something of a theme this week: in the second round, Noha Akugue saved two match points against Hunter en route to overturning a 6-0, 5-3 deficit.