IT might not be an exact fact, but no doubt after months off from competitive tennis, qualifiers have the best chance of causing an upset in Palermo. They had to fight through three qualification matches to make their way into the main draw, with a lot of their opponents coming off exhibition matches and training at best. The three European qualifiers – Kaja Juvan, Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Liudmila Samsonova – all won through against higher ranked opponents.

Juvan had the biggest upset of the lot, with the world number 121 toppling second seed, Marketa Vondrousova after a disappointing first set. The Slovenian teenager won 1-6 7-5 6-4 to advance through to the second round, defying her ranking to topple the world number 18. Having never beaten a top 50 player before, the 19-year-old stepped up to the plate and was sensational, particularly defensively given she only owned 46.1 per cent of her first serve points. She made up for it off her second serve though, claiming 65.6 per cent of those points, and serving three aces for the match while saving nine break points. Vondrousova was unlucky in the game, with the 2019 French Open finalist creating 16 break point opportunities, and even breaking her more times than she herself was broken (7-6), but it would not be enough.

In a much more one-sided contest, Sasnovich trounced fifth seed Belgian, Elise Mertens 6-4 6-1 to advance through to the Round of 16. The match lasted an hour and 23 minutes with the Belarusian dominating thanks to a high serving percentage with more than two thirds of her first serves going in, and winning on both her first and second serve points at the same ratio. Mertens struggled throughout the contest despite serving four aces, only winning 40 per cent of points off her second serve and produced three double faults.

It was a bad day for Belgian fans, with Samsonova toppling Kirsten Flipkens, also in straight sets. The Russian won 6-4 6-2 in 93 minutes to book a sport in the second round, thanks to a healthy 73 per cent first serve points winning ratio. Her serve was all over the place at times with five double faults and just a 56.1 per cent efficiency, but Flipkens ran at an even lower 50.9 per cent and could not capitalise on break opportunities as often as Samsonova who broke five times to two in the match.

Compounding the forgettable day for the Belgian nation, Alison Van Uytvanck was swept aside by top seed Petra Martic who showed no signs of rustiness in her 65-minute rout. Martic was near-unbeatable off her first serve, with a staggering 78.1 per cent winning ratio, as Van Uytvanck could not capitalise on any of her four break point opportunities. The Belgian was actually fairly successful off her first serve – 71.4 per cent – when it went in (which was not often at 48.8 per cent), but she really struggled off her second serve with just a 31.8 per cent success rate.

The only qualifier to lose in the first round was the only non-European in the draw with Argentinian Nadia Podoroska bowing out at the hands of a red-hot Fiona Ferro. The Frenchwoman had no troubles storming to a 6-2 6-1 victory, joining compatriot Oceane Dodin in the second round after Dodin fought off an early challenge from Slovenian Tamara Zidansek to win in just under two and a half hours, 2-6 6-4 6-4.

Other winners on day two of the main draw matches were fourth seed Estonian Anett Kontaveit, and Italian Camila Giorgi who made it a perfect first-up round for the home nation, knocking off the highly rated Rebecca Peterson in straight sets, 7-5 6-4. In the late day one matches yesterday, Kristyna Pliskova stunned third seed Maria Sakkari, and seventh seed Dayana Yastremska shook off Sara Sorribes Tormo to make it through to Round of 16.