Francesca Jones Advances to Auckland Open Quarters

Francesca Jones of Britain advanced to the quarterfinals of the Auckland Open on Wednesday, rallying from a set and a break down to defeat Austrian qualifier Sinja Kraus 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 in a match lasting just over two hours. The 25-year-old, ranked 72nd in the world, followed up her career-best first-round upset of second seed Emma Navarro with another resilient performance under hot daytime conditions in New Zealand.

Jones, the British number three, began the tournament strongly on Monday by edging out the world number 15 Navarro 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in her first tour-level match against a top-50 opponent. That victory marked her biggest career win to date and highlighted her rising form after breaking into the top 100 last year. She captured two titles at the WTA 125 level and reached semifinals on the main tour, despite ongoing challenges from a rare genetic condition.

Born with Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia, or EEC syndrome, Jones has three fingers and a thumb on each hand, three toes on her right foot, and four on her left. Doctors once advised her against pursuing professional tennis, yet she qualified for the US Open main draw in August, her first appearance in New York,...