ST. LOUIS, Missouri, CMC – Nicolette Fernandes was knocked out of the US $11,800 Racquet Club Invitational on Thursday.
The fifth-seed from Guyana was playing in her seventh tournament of the year, and took third seed Victoria Lust of Britain to five games.But Fernandes, the World No.48, failed to overcome her British rival, and the World No.38 won 11-6, 8-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-9.
It was the second time this year that Fernandes had stumbled at the quarter-final stage of a tournament, having reached the same round at the US $4,000 Swiss Open last March in Geneva.
Fernandes had reached the last eight here, following a straight games victory over unseeded American Sabrina Sobhy.
The 27-year-old Fernandes won the first round match with little fuss, 11-7, 11-7, 11-3.
Fernandes is now carded to face World No. 134 Maria Toor Pakay of Pakistan in the opening round of the US $5,100 Alicia Hagedorn Open from May 8 to 12 at the Mayfair Lakeshore Racquet & Fitness Club in Toronto, Canada.
Fernandes is listed as the second seed for this tournament behind Lust.
