TWO clay events began overnight in Italy and Poland, respectively, with the women’s draws providing plenty of intriguing results on the respective opening days.

Palermo saw three seeds compete with the day’s favourite in Liudmila Samsonova crumbling at the first hurdle in a shaky 6-3 6-2 loss to Chinese 18-year-old Zheng Qinwen, with the youngster stunning the 54th ranked Russian in just over 90 minutes. Things went much more to plan for third seed Jil Teichmann though, as the Swiss talent defeated Spaniard Marina Bassols Ribera on home soil, 3-6 6-4 6-1, as sixth seed Oceane Dodin also claimed an opening round win, overcoming Alexandra Dulgheru 6-3 6-2 in one hour and 18 minutes. Just one other three-setter was had on a comprehensive day of action, as Romanian Jacqueline Cristian did what her compatriot Dulgheru could not, claiming a 2-6 6-3 6-4 victory over Italian hometown hopeful, Nuria Brancaccio.

Meanwhile, a second Swiss competitor in Leonie Kung could not back up Teichmann with a win, as she fell to Russian Natalia Vikhlyantseva in one hour and 19 minutes, as another Russian joined the winners list with a 6-3 7-6(5) win over Austrian Julia Grabher. A second Italian and Spaniard fell, as American Grace Min and Australian Maddison Inglis rounded out the day one winners.

In Poland, fifth seed Anna Blinkova was the major upset of the day, falling to Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in straight sets, 6-3 6-3. The Russian struggled on serve as Schmiedlova came away with 60 per cent of the overall points won. Just one match went to three sets and it was another seed who was forced to fight hard in 10th seed Irina Bara, who eventually claimed the topsy-turvy 6-3 1-6 7-5 victory over Itaalian Federica Di Sarra despite her six double faults handing over critical points.

Weronika Falkowska had an intriguing ride to the event, falling in the qualifiers before being brought back to the event as a lucky loser – and claiming a first round win over the qualifier who knocked her out of contention in the first place. The 21-year-old Pole made her WTA debut in the process, claiming a speedy 6-0 6-2 victory over Ukraine’s Kateryna Bondarenko in 55 minutes. Her compatriot in Urszula Radwanksa was not quite so lucky though, going down in a similar 6-2 6-1 result to Kristina Kucova in 65 minutes. Anna Bondar and Kateryna Kozlova rounded out the day’s winners with respective thereabout one-hour and 45-minute clashes.

PALERMO LADIES OPEN ROUND OF 32 RESULTS: 

Zheng Qinwen (CHN) defeated [2] Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) 6-3 6-2
[3] Jil Teichmann (SUI) defeated Marina Bassols Ribera (ESP) 3-6 6-4 6-1
[6] Oceane Dodin (FRA) defeated Alexandra Dulgheru (ROU) 6-3 6-2
Maddison Inglis (AUS) defeated Giulia Gatto-Monticone (ITA) 6-2 6-3
Natalia Vikhlyantseva (RUS) defeated Leonie Kung (SUI) 6-3 6-2
Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS) defeated Julia Grabher (AUT) 6-3 7-6
Grace Min (USA) defeated Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) 6-3 6-4
Jacqueline Cristian (ROU) defeated Nuria Brancaccio (ITA) 2-6 6-3 6-4

BNP PARIBAS POLAND OPEN ROUND OF 32 RESULTS:

Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) defeated [5] Anna Blinkova (RUS) 6-3 6-3
[10] Irina Bara (ROU) defeated Federica Di Sarra (ITA) 6-3 1-6 7-5
Kristina Kucova (SVK) defeated Urszula Radwanska (POL) 6-2 6-1
Weronika Falkowska (POL) defeated Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 6-0 6-2
Anna Bondar (NED) defeated Valeriia Olianovskaia (RUS) 7-5 6-3
Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) defeated Katie Volynets (USA) 7-6 6-2