Jaqueline Cristian of Romania took down Marie Bouzkova — the No. 1 seed, defending champion and hometown favorite — 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 on Monday in the first round of the Livesport Prague Open in the Czech Republic.
Bouzkova was born and raised in Prague and won this tournament last year for her maiden WTA singles title. Those good feelings did not carry over into this week, as Cristian broke Bouzkova’s serve eight times in 14 opportunities to control the match and win in two hours and 47 minutes.
Seventh seed Xinyu Wang of China also fell, as Viktoria Hruncakova of Slovakia rallied for a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) win.
No. 8 seed Kateryna Baindl beat fellow Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, while No. 6 seed Alize Cornet of France led Czech foe Lucie Havlickova 6-2, 4-2 when their match was suspended. Japan’s Nao Hibino and Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch also won their matches.
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Lauren Davis outlasted Sloane Stephens 7-6 (8), 3-6, 6-1 in an all-American, first-round match in Washington.
Davis knocked off Stephens, the 2015 champion of the event, in two hours and 37 minutes in part by saving nine of 14 break points.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk saved three match points to complete a comeback win over Canada’s Bianca Andreescu, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5). Andreescu had one match point while up 5-4 in the third set and double match point while up 6-5, but Kostyuk stayed alive and forced the tiebreaker, where she never trailed.
In the final match of the night, fifth-seeded Daria Kasatkina of Russia beat Belgium’s Elise Mertens 6-3, 7-5. She will next face Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who swept two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 7-6 (2), 6-4.
No. 6 seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland advanced when Russian opponent Anastasia Potapova retired late in the first set. No. 8 seed Liudmila Samsonova of Russia eased past American Danielle Collins 6-1, 6-3.
–Field Level Media
