WTA roundup: Clara Burel, Diane Parry sail in Tunisia

Frenchwomen Clara Burel and Diane Parry had little trouble advancing to the second round of the Jasmin Open Tunisia on Monday in Monastir, Tunisia.

No. 2 seed Burel defeated Spain’s Marina Bassols Ribera 6-2, 6-2 in first-round action. Burel fired seven aces, converted 5 of 7 break points and saved 5 of 6 break points she faced.

Parry, the third seed, defeated Tunisia’s Chiraz Bechri 6-3, 6-0 in an hour flat. Parry converted 5 of 6 break points en route to winning the final nine games of the match.

No. 8 seed Anna Blinkova of Russia didn’t have it so easy. Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain upset her 6-4, 6-4, with Blinkova winning a mere 18 of 38 first-service points (47.4 per cent).

Other first-round winners included Germany’s Eva Lys, Great Britain’s Yuriko Miyazaki and Japan’s Mai Hontama.

Guadalajara Open Akron

No. 7 seed Veronika Kudermetova of Russia took down American opponent Sachia Vickery 6-4, 6-4 to open the WTA 500 tournament in Mexico.

The upstart Vickery, ranked No. 160 in the world, hit five aces but also committed six double faults. Kudermetova saved 5 of 8 break points and converted all five of her chances to break Vickery’s serve.

In another loss by a U.S. player, Australian qualifier Olivia Gadecki defeated Sloane Stephens 6-4, 6-3. Stephens, the 2017 U.S. Open champion, fell in the first round of a fourth consecutive tournament, including this year’s U.S. Open.

Also winning first-round matches were Colombia’s Camila Osorio, Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova and Mexico’s Renata Zarazua.

-Field Level Media