Francesca Jones ‘relieved’ after battling injury to reach quarter-finals in Auckland

Francesca Jones admitted she was “relieved” after battling back from a set down to reach the quarter-finals of the Auckland Open on Wednesday.

The British No 3, who secured the biggest win of her career in the first round after defeating world No 15 Emma Navarro, looked in deep trouble against Austrian qualifier Sinja Kraus.

Yet the 25-year-old fought back from a set and break down to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 after two hours and six minutes.

"I'm actually really relieved that's over," Jones told Sky Sport in New Zealand.

"When you play someone like Emma in the first round and you get through that, physically and mentally, it's tough to pick yourself back up, especially in these conditions.

"She was unplayable the first set and a half and I found it really tough to get used to playing in the day compared to the night. It's a lot quicker.

"I'm glad I got through that."

Jones, ranked 72 in the world, will face Chinese world No 57 Wang Xinyu in the quarter-finals.

Jones broke into the top-100 last year, reaching two WTA Tour semi-finals and winning two titles at WTA 125 level. She will be a main-draw entrant at the Australian Open in a fortnight’s time.

She also qualified for the US Open in August, marking her first main-draw appearance in New York, aiding her rise up the rankings despite physical issues in relation to a rare genetic condition.

The 25-year-old was born with Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia (EEC), which means she has three fingers and a thumb on each hand, three toes on her right foot and four toes on her left foot.