It took three hours and three minutes for Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova to upset seventh seed Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-3 on Monday in the first round of the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest.
Ruse lost despite holding an 8-1 advantage in aces. Rakhimova won 51 of 71 first-service points (71.8 percent) and saved eight of 13 break points while breaking Ruse’s serve seven times.
Fifth seed Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus also needed three sets but had an easier time coming out on top, beating Hungary’s Fanny Stollar 6-3, 0-6, 6-3.
American Bernarda Pera and Ukrainians Lesia Tsurenko and Kateryna Baindl were also winners.
Ladies Open Lausanne
No. 4 seed Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain beat American foe Lauren Davis 6-2, 7-6 (1) in the first round in Switzerland.
Sorribes Tormo won 14 of her 25 second-service points (56 percent) to stay in the match despite saving only one of five break points. With the second-set tiebreak tied 1-1, the Spaniard won six consecutive points to put the match away.
Anna Kalinskaya of Russia knocked out No. 7 seed Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-3 in almost two and a half hours.
France’s Clara Burel raced past Lin Zhu of China 6-0, 6-1 in just 46 minutes. Other winners were Switzerland’s Susan Bandecchi, Russia’s Anastasia Potapova and Germany’s Jule Niemeier, who is coming off a career-best quarterfinal run at Wimbledon.
–Field Level Media