AFTER three days of qualifying matches, the ASB Classic has begun with plenty of high energy matches setting the bar high.

An intense match took place between Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard and Belgian, Kirsten Flipkens, seeing an exciting 7-5 7-5 match play out. Bouchard got the chocolates despite being ranked far below her opponent, forcing errors from Flipkens and taking advantage of opportunities left, right and centre.

With plenty of Americans taking the court only a few could proceed to the next round. Cori Gauff and Jessica Pegula both dominated their respective contests in straight sets but it was a different story for Taylor Townsend and Catherine Bellis, with Bellis defeated by Pegula in a disappointing performance, failing to win a game in the first set. Townsend put up a tough fight against France’s Caroline Garcia, winning the first set but unable to maintain momentum in the second and third, going down 7-5 3-6 5-7.

Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro also took her opposition to three sets but to no avail, winning the second but relenting to Russian, Daria Kasatkina 3-6 6-3 2-6. While Kasatkina ranks lower than Suarez Navarro, she has real speed and young talent on her side.

18-year-old New Zealander, Valentina Ivanov did her best in front of a home crowd but to no avail, going down in straight sets to Swiss Jil Teichmann. Ivanov put up a tough fight, pushing Teichmann in both sets but was unable to take control, going down 6-4 6-3. Meanwhile, Slovenian Tamara Zidansek defeated Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson in a tough, but well matched contest, with the closeness of the players pushing the match over the two hour mark despite not heading into a third set. It was a rough trot with neither player giving any ground, but Zidansek eventually won both sets, 6-7 6-7.