Russian Mirra Andreeva upset No. 11 seed Emma Navarro of the United States with ease, taking just 65 minutes to earn a 6-2, 6-2 victory on Wednesday in the first round of the Cincinnati Open in Mason, Ohio.
Andreeva won 23 of 28 first-serve points and converted 4 of 8 break points in her first match since the Paris Olympics, where she secured the silver medal in women’s doubles. Andreeva also finished with a 16-5 edge over Navarro on winners.
“I knew that it was going to be a very hard match. She’s had an amazing year so far, so I was just trying to go on court and do my best and to play because I had nothing to lose,” Andreeva said. “I just went out there, tried to show my best level and tried to win a match, and I think I did it.”
Another Russian, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, also knocked off a seeded foe, topping No. 17 Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3. Pavlyuchenkova finished with 10 aces and overcame 14 double faults. She also saved 12 of 16 break points.
Meanwhile, top-seeded Pole Iga Swiatek, No. 15 seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine and Russians Liudmila Samsonova and Anna Kalinskaya, the 10th seed and the 13th seed, respectively, held off underdogs.
Swiatek was challenged by France’s Varvara Gracheva but she managed to prevail 6-0, 6-7 (8), 6-2.
“It was not easy to finish in the second set,” Swiatek said. “She started playing with freedom, with nothing to lose. I backed down a bit and she used her chances. I’m happy I got more proactive in the third set and played more intense.”
Kostyuk swept New Zealand’s Lulu Sun 6-3, 7-5. Samsonova cruised past China’s Xinyu Wang for a 6-4, 6-4 win, and Kalinskaya overcame a brutal first set to beat Czech Katerina Siniakova 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Swiatek and Kostyuk were playing second-round matches, and they are set to meet in the third round.
Other winners Wednesday included Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki, Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic, American Taylor Townsend, Leylah Fernandez of Canada, Russia’s Diana Shnaider, Poland’s Magdalena Frech and Spaniards Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and Paula Badosa.
Shnaider won the silver medal alongside Andreeva as her doubles partner in Paris.
–Field Level Media
