RUSSIANS proved too strong on home soil at the WTA 500 St. Petersburg event whilst it was a mixed bag of results as seeds fell at the WTA 250 event in Monterrey, Mexico.

Sloane Stephens was the big out on Day 2 at Monterrey, with the out-of-form American top seed disposed on in straight sets by Slovakian Kristina Kucova. With just a 32.4 per cent first serve winning rate and marginally better on her second serve with 33.3 per cent of points won – four from 12 – Stephens never looked like she would take out victory here, wih the appalling service efficiency working the way of Kucova who came away with the 6-2 6-2 victory in 70 minutes. Heather Watson was the second seed to fall on the day, struggling to compete with compatriot Harriet Dart who flew out of the blocks in the 6-4 7-6 encounter, hitting six aces for one double fault throughout compared to Watson’s three and eight. The only seed to complete a win thus far on the day is China’s Zheng Saisai, with the third seed’s consistency and ability to win on serve doing her plenty of favours against Russian Varvara Gracheva, winning 6-3 7-5 in tricky conditions. Meanwhile, the only unseeded encounter that is already complete was played out by Kaja Juvan and Maria Camila Orsorio Serrano, with Juvan reigning supreme 6-4 6-4.

The two matches currently in progress – Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko versus seventh seed Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo and sixth seed Ana Blinkova versus Viktorija Golubic – saw both lower ranked players take out the first set in intriguing results. The following two matches are not set to begin until after 6:00pm local (11:00am AEDT).

MONTERREY ROUND OF 32 RESULTS: 

Kristina Kucova (SVK) defeated [1] Sloane Stephens (USA) 6-2 6-2
[3] Zheng Saisai (CHN) defeated Varvara Gracheva (RUS) 6-3 7-5
Harriet Dart (GBR) defeated [5] Heather Watson (GBR) 6-4 7-6
Kaja Juvan (SRB) defeated Maria Camila Orsorio Serrano (COL) 6-4 6-4
Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) v. [7] Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP)
[6] Ana Blinkova (RUS) v. Viktorija Golubic (SUI)
Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) v. [2] Nadia Podoroska (ARG)
Zhu Lin (CHN) v. Eugenie Bouchard (CAN)

Russians were on the money on home soil at Day 2 of the St. Petersburg Round of 32, as four home hopes proceeded through to the Round of 16 amongst some intriguing results.

Fifth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and eighth seed Daria Kasatkina were the two expected to reign supreme, but were forced to take their time against their respective opposition in Cagla Buyukakcay and Clara Tauson. Pavlyuchenkova trailed the service game efficiency but overall made better use of her serve, winning of 75 per cent of first serve chances and 62.5 per cent of second serve chances compared to her Turkish opposition to win 6-4 6-4. For Kasatkina, it was a matter of outclassing the 18-year-old Danish talent in Tauson, with the young gun biting back in the second after marginally trailing the first for a 6-4 7-6(0) end result. Also through to the Round of 16 is Margarita Gasparyan, who was the only player to beat a seed on Day 2. Gasparyan flew out of the gates against Kristina Mladenovic, and whilst the first set tiebreaker went to the Frenchwoman, Gasparyan could not be stopped from there winning convincingly, 6-7 6-1 6-1. The fourth Russian in the next round is Kamilla Rakhimova, who defeated compatriot Daria Mishina 6-1 7-6 6-1 for her spot in the Round of 16.

In other matches, two Czech talents prevailed with one getting the win in tight circumstances, whilst the other’s experience was anything but. For Tereza Martincova, a first set 6-0 speedrun against Stefanie Voegele was not enough to secure momentum, taken to another two sets and forced to work for the 6-0 4-6 6-4 victory. Meanwhile, Katerina Siniakova downed Kirsten Flipkens 6-1 6-2 in the quickest win of the day, just 63 minutes. Comparatively, the two remaining winners completed their respective matches in two hours and 12 minutes each, with Wang Xinyu earning her way to the nxt round with a great 6-1 5-7 7-5 outing against Viktoriya Tomova, whilst Romanian Jacqueline Cristian will go another day after her Belarusian opponent Vera Lapko retired during the third set, despite leading early.

ST. PETERSBURG ROUND OF 32 RESULTS:

[5] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) defeated Cagla Buyukakcay (TUR) 6-4 6-4
Margarita Gasparyan (RUS) defeated [7] Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 6-7 6-1 6-1
[8] Daria Kasatkina (RUS) defeated Clara Tauson (DEN) 6-4 7-6
Tereza Martincova (CZE) defeated Stefanie Voegele (AUT) 6-0 4-6 6-4
Katerina Siniakova (CZE) defeated Kirsten Flipkens (GER) 6-1 6-2
Wang Xinyu (CHN) defeated Viktoriya Tomova (HUN) 6-1 5-7 7-5
Kamilla Rakhimova (RUS) defeated Daria Mishina (RUS) 6-1 7-6 6-1
Jacqueline Cristian (ROM) defeated Vera Lapko (BLR) 6-7 6-4 2-1