The seeds continued to fall by the wayside as wildcard Elisabetta Cocciaretto stunned sixth seed Donna Vekic while eighth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova was upset Fiona Ferro in the second round of the Palermo Open, which marks tennis’ return from the five-month coronavirus shutdown.

The 19-year-old beat Vekic 6-2, 6-4 in an hour and 35-minute battle to reach her first WTA quarter-final. The Italian had earlier beaten world No 45 Polona Hercog in the first round for her first won over a Top-100 player and her first WTA main draw victory.

Frenchwoman Ferro’s win was only the second of her career against a player in the top 30 as she beat the Russian 7-5, 6-2 at the clay-court event.

She will is set to meet former world No 5 Sara Errani next after the Italian ground out yet another three-set win. The wildcard fought from a set down to beat big-serving Kristyna Pliskova 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 and reach the quarter-finals for the eighth time.

Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich, the former world No 30, reached her first WTA quarterfinal in 18 months after a 6-0, 6-2 victory over local Jasmine Paolini.

Second round results:

Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) bt Jasmine Paolini (ITA) 6-0, 6-2

Elisabetta Cocciaretto (ITA) bt Donna Vekic (CRO x6) 6-2, 6-4

Fiona Ferro (FRA) bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS x8) 7-5, 6-2

Sara Errani (ITA) bt Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3