Published: 15:03, February 27, 2024 | Updated: 15:08, February 27, 2024
WTA: China's Wang Yafan wins Austin opener
By Reuters

Wang Yafan competes during the women's singles 3rd round match between Zheng Qinwen and Wang Yafan of China at Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Jan 20, 2024. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Wang Yafan pulled off a first-round upset at the ATX Open in Austin, Texas, on Monday, defeating fourth-seeded Lucia Bronzetti of Italy 7-6 (5), 6-4.

Wang won 81 percent of her first-serve points and saved four of the five break points she faced. She failed to take advantage of three set points on Bronzetti's serve at 5-4 in the first set, then needed two more set points to wrap up the tiebreaker. The lone break in the second set gave Wang a 3-2 lead.

In other opening-round action, fifth-seeded Diane Parry won an all-French matchup against Jessika Ponchet 6-3, 7-6 (4); eighth-seeded Yuan Yue of China rallied past Australia's Arina Rodionova 3-6, 6-3, 6-1; and Colombia's Camila Osorio routed France's Alize Cornet 6-3, 6-2.

ALSO READ: Wang sets up all-Chinese third round match at Australian Open

Cymbiotika San Diego Open

Canada's Marina Stakusic beat Russia's Marina Melnikova 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 in a first-round matchup of qualifiers at San Diego.

Stakusic, 19, is ranked 283rd in the world. Melnikova, 35, is ranked 440th.

Stakusic had a 4-0 edge in aces and she won 78 percent of Melnikova's second-serve points. Her second-round foe will be either seventh-seeded Croatian Donna Vekic or Katherine Hui, a 19-year-old wild-card entrant who is a San Diego native.

READ MORE: So far, so perfect for China's aces

Other first-round winners included China's Wang Xinyu, Australia's Daria Saville, Great Britain's Katie Boulter and Germany's Jule Niemeier. Sixth-seeded Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine opposed the United States' Ann Li in the last match of the night.