IT was a successful opening day of the 2021 MUSC Health Women’s Open WTA 250 event in Charleston, with the Americans mostly successful on home soil and seeing four of the day’s five seeds collect wins.

Third seed Shelby Rogers exploded out of the blocks with a 6-0 6-1 victory over compatriot Caty McNally, requiring just 62 minutes to claim the win with six aces and a whopping 83.3 per cent winning rate off her first serve. Rogers also excelled on return, winning 62.2 per cent of points off McNally’s service games to head into the second round unscathed.

Seventh seed American Lauren Davis also took on a compatriot in Coco Vandeweghe and ran out victor in one hour and 38 minutes with an effective 7-6 6-4 takedown. Whilst Vandeweghe was marginally more efficient on serve, Davis was far consistent in comparison and utilised her second serve much better. The third American to head through to the second round was eighth seed Madison Brengle who was taken to three set by Russian Natalia Vikhlyantseva. Whilst Vikhlyantseva stole back the second set after a rough 0-6 start, she shot herself in the foot in the third hitting six double faults to take her total to 11 for the match, and eventually was outclassed by Brengle 6-0 3-6 6-2.

The remaining three games saw an intriguing result between Japanese talents Nao Hibino and fifth seed Misaki Doi, with the latter retiring in the third set when the two were even 6-6 with a severe leg cramp, handing Hibino the three hour and nine minute, 7-5 5-7 6-6 marathon victory. Hibino will want to clean up her service game in her upcoming match after hitting 10 double faults for two aces off a 64 per cent clip, however saved 16 break points in the tight encounter.

Australian Ajla Tomljanovic completed a clean and efficient one hour and three minute 6-1 6-1 victory to head into the second round, defeating Renata Zarazua credit to a huge 81 per cent win rate off her first serve, and capitalising off her Mexican opposition’s error rate. The remaining winner of the day was Swiss teenager Clara Tauson, who claimed a 6-3 6-3 victory over Russian Liudmila Samsonova.

MUSC HEALTH WOMEN’S OPEN ROUND OF 32 RESULTS:

[3] Shelby Rogers (USA) defeated Caty McNally (USA) 6-0 6-1
Nao Hibino (JPN) defeated [5] Misaki Doi (JPN) 7-5 5-7 6-6 RET
[6] Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) defeated Renata Zarazua (MEX) 6-1 6-1
[7] Lauren Davis (USA) defeated Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 7-6 6-4
[8] Madison Brengle (USA) defeated Natalia Vikhlyantseva (RUS) 6-0 3-6 6-2
Clara Tauson (SUI) defeated Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) 6-3 6-3