Safarova stunned as Hradecka completes double-header
Second seed Lucie Safarova suffered a first-round exit at the Prague Open, while Lucie Hradecka won two matches in one day.
Lucie Safarova was the headline casualty of Wednesday's play at the Prague Open as the second seed was beaten in three sets by Tereza Smitkova, who went on to lose against Lucie Hradecka in the second round.
With rain having impacted on Tuesday's schedule, Safarova's first-round match against Smitkova - together with Hradecka's clash with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova - was delayed until the following day.
Smitkova's first triumph saw a dramatic conclusion as the young Czech - serving for a 5-3 lead against the second seed in the decider - was broken to love and appeared to have surrendered the initiative to her compatriot.
But, remarkably, she then broke back immediately without losing a point before serving out for a 6-3 2-6 6-4 victory in an incredible final game that included three break points and four match points.
Having recorded a first victory over a top-20 player, Smitkova duly lost a gruelling contest against Hradecka 6-3 4-6 7-6 (13-11).
Again the major drama unfolded late in the match, with the final-set tie-break including nine mini-breaks before Hradecka managed to hold her nerve - and her serve - to set up a quarter-final match against Klara Koukalova.
Hradecka had earlier defeated Pavlyuchenkova 6-1 7-5.
Top seed and home favourite Karolina Pliskova was a 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-1) victor over Tsvetana Pironkova to underline her credentials at the clay-court event, but fifth seed Alize Cornet was sent packing by Denisa Allertova 3-6 7-5 6-2.
In other second-round ties, third seed Barbora Strycova beat Elena Vesnina 6-3 6-3, Yanina Wickmayer prevailed against Aleksandra Krunic 7-5 6-7 (3-7) 7-5, Polona Hercog lost 6-1 6-4 to Katerina Siniakova, with Zhang Shuai suffering the same fate against Danka Kovinic, while Koukalova defeated Ana Konjuh 6-4 2-6 6-2.