IF you were a United States fan turning in to watch your competitors run around on the clay at the Strasbourg International, then by the end of the first round you would have been deeply disappointed. All five American hopes were bundled out in the first round, including seeds Amanda Anisimova and Sloane Stephens. Both suffered disappointing defeats in the Round of 32 in France, whilst compatriots, Lauren Davis, Bernarda Pera and Christina Mchale joined them on the sidelines.

Anisimova had arguably the most disappointing defeat, surrendering to Swiss up and comer Jil Teichmann in straight sets, 6-2 6-3 in just 67 minutes. Teichmann only dropped five points off her first serve and broke her opponent four times whilst saving all three break point opportunities, proving too strong for the world number 29. The 23-year-old might still be young but has a few years on the teenage Anisimova who was unable to live up to her sixth seed billing at the tournament.

Stephens went down in a hard-fought three-set match to Nao Hibino with the Japanese talent fighting back from dropping the second set to win 6-2 3-6 6-1 in an hour and 45 minutes. Hibino is ranked 84th in the world but was able to fight past Stephens who is having a horror year with just three wins to-date. Hibino broke nine times from 20 opportunities, whilst saving eight of 14 from her opponent in a game not renowned for holding serve. In fact. Stephens only held serve three times, serving up 11 double faults and winning 42 per cent of her service points in a strange match.

“Last week, I lost in qualies in Rome and it was not a good match, so I learned from that,” Hibino said post-match. “Of course, Sloane is a good player, especially on clay courts. I prepared mentally and with tactics, so I think it helped a lot today.”

Now Hibino will take on Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas for a place in the quarter finals following Diyas’ epic three-set win over McHale which lasted three hours and eight minutes after being a set and 4-0 down.

“She’s a very low-ball hitter, but I’ve played against her a couple of times so I know how she plays,” Hibino said. “Nothing will change, so I’ll just prepare mentally and with tactics like today.”

The Diyas-McHale match was the match of the day, although Pera also fought hard against Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova before losing in three sets. The American took the first set, before falling 4-6 7-6 6-1 in two hours and 22 minutes. In another match not renowned for serving, Pera somehow served up 17 double faults in a number rarely hit on the WTA Tour. Now Siniakova advances through to take on Ekaterina Alexandrova who blasted Australian Storm Sanders off the court in a 6-0 6-1 39-minute demolition job also rarely seen on Tour.

Sanders won just 18 points for the match and six on return as Alexandrova broke six times and had a serving efficiency of 80 per cent. The Russian seventh seed was one of only three seeds through to the next round along with fifth seed Elena Rybakina, and fourth seed, Aryna Sabalenka.

Also through to the next round was Jelena Ostapenko who took care of Davis, 6-2 6-3, as well as French wildcard Clara Burel and compatriot Alize Cornet, Russian up and comer Anna Blinkova and compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and Pole Magda Linette.

Picture: Internationaux de Strasbourg