AN EARLY upset on day one saw Turkish qualifier Zeynep Sonmez take out seventh seed Magdalena Frech to reach the second round of the WTA 500 event in Tokyo. Sonmez – ranked 148th in the world – defeated Frech 1-6 6-4 6-3, coming back from the brink to post the victory in an hour and 59 minutes.
Sonmez reached the main draw after qualifying at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, and after a sluggish start found her feet to get up in a tight victory. The Turkish talent won 71 per cent of her first serve points and despite winning six less total points (83-89) was able to stand up when it counted across the last two sets to advance through to the Round of 16.
Just five matches took place in Tokyo on day one, with eighth seeded Canadian Leylah Fernandez also in action. The former US Open finalist won with a game still to play after lucky loser Aliaksandra Sasnovich retired at 2-5 down in the deciding third set.
Fernandez was joined in the Round of 16 by Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova who got past Russian Veronika Kudermetova 7-6 6-3, while Frenchwoman Varvara Gracheva also skipped to a straight sets win. The world number 68 was too good for 137th ranked Mai Hontama, beating the Japanese qualifier in straight sets 6-1 7-6 in 97 minutes.
Action continues today with no shortage of Japanese hopes in action. Teenage talent Sara Saito earned a lucky loser spot to face compatriot Sayaka Ishii in the first round, while Nao Hibino and Moyuka Uchijima will both be in action. Hibino will take on another lucky loser in talented Dane Clara Tauson, while Uchijima locks horns with British wunderkind Mika Stojsavljevic.
In other matches, 10th seed Xinyu Wang will look to snap an 0-3 record against Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, while Aussie qualifier Priscilla Hon has a stiff Round of 32 encounter with ninth seeded Brit, Katie Boulter. Japanese lucky loser Kyoka Okamura meets American qualifier Hayley Baptiste, while another United States representative in McCartney Kessler takes on Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
AROUND THE TOUR
The other WTA Tour tournament taking place at the moment is in Guangzhou, with a 250 event continuing the run in China. Three Round of 32 matches took place as qualifying also wrapped up late last night, with local hope and wildcard Sijia Wei upsetting sixth seed Rebecca Sramkova in a dominant 6-1 6-4 result on Centre Court.
Serbian Olga Danilovic also won in straight sets when defeating in-form Russian Erika Andreeva 6-4 6-4, while in the last match, Romanian Jaqueline Cristian won a momentum-swinging battle with Swiss talent Viktorija Golubic.
Turkish qualifier upsets Pole in Tokyo
AN EARLY upset on day one saw Turkish qualifier Zeynep Sonmez take out seventh seed Magdalena Frech to reach the second round of the WTA 500 event in Tokyo. Sonmez – ranked 148th in the world – defeated Frech 1-6 6-4 6-3, coming back from the brink to post the victory in an hour and […]
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