THE first day of the 2020 WTA Tour’s Miami Open fantasy tennis tournament is done and dusted with the first half of the Round of 128 completed. It was an entertaining day of action with most of the higher ranked players going through, but still providing a number of upsets. Among those through to the next round are top 50 players, Germany’s Julia Goerges and Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson who won through in straight sets.

Goerges defeated American wildcard, Shelby Rogers as Peterson downed China’s Lin Zhu. Also through to the next round and facing the second seed, Karolina Pliskova is Belgian, Alison Van Uytvanck, who triumphed over another American in Bernarda Pera. Aside from those two losses, it was a positive day for the home nation with the crowds able to see four of their local talents move through to the next round.

In a battle of the future, Coco Gauff got past Switzerland’s Leonie Kung in a clash of the teenagers, winning 6-3 6-4. Joining Gauff in the Round of 64 were compatriots, Jennifer Brady and wildcard Kristie Ahn who also defeated up-and-coming talents. Brady knocked off Poland’s Iga Swiatek, while Ahn toppled Russian Anna Blinkova in a huge upset. Canadian teenager, Leylah Fernandez also booked her spot in the Round of 64 courtesy of a three sets win over Belgian wildcard Greet Minnen, 6-2 4-6 7-5. Meanwhile Danielle Collins made her way through with a tight 6-1 6-7 6-3 win over Slovenia’s Polona Hercog.

Four qualifiers survived the first round of action with Russia’s Ludmilla Samsonova, China’s Xiyu Wang, Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi and Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens all making it through to the next round. Joining them in the second round were Taiwan’s Su Wei Hsieh, Netherlands’ Arantxa Rus, Great Britain’s Heather Watson and Czech Maria Bouzkova.

Looking at tomorrow’s action, a couple of the games to watch are American Sloane Stephens coming up against Japan’s Nao Hibino, while Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic faces Swiss talent, Jil Teichmann.

ROUND OF 128 RESULTS:

[WC] Kristie Ahn (USA) defeated Anna Blinkova (RUS) 6-4 6-4
Coco Gauff (USA) defeated [Q] Leonie Kung (SUI) 6-3 6-4
[Q] Ludmilla Samsonova (RUS) defeated [Q] Irina Camelia Begu (ROU) 6-3 6-1
Danielle Collins (USA) defeated Polona Hercog (SLO) 6-1 6-7 6-3
Su Wei Hsieh (TAI) defeated Zarina Diyas (KAZ) 6-3 4-6 6-2
Jennifer Brady (USA) defeated Iga Swiatek (POL) 6-4 7-5
[Q] Xiyu Wang (CHN) defeated [WC] Oceane Dodin (FRA) 6-2 6-3
Arantxa Rus (NED) defeated Darya Kasatkina (RUS) 6-2 6-4
Heather Watson (GBR) defeated [Q] Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP) 6-3 6-3
[Q] Kaia Kanepi (EST) defeated [WC] Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 6-2 7-6
Marie Bouzkova (CZE) defeated Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) 4-6 7-5 6-2
Rebecca Peterson (SWE) defeated Lin Zhu (CHN) 6-2 7-6
[Q] Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) defeated Viktoria Kuzmova (SVK) 6-3 0-6 6-4
[WC] Leylah Fernandez (CAN) defeated [WC] Greet Minnen (BEL) 6-2 4-6 7-5
Julia Goerges (GER) defeated [WC] Shelby Rogers (USA) 6-2 6-3
Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) defeated Bernarda Pera (USA) 6-4 7-5