Heather Watson won her opening match 6-4, 6-2 over Katie Volynets as English players went a perfect 3-for-3 on Monday in the opening round of the Rothesay Open Nottingham in Nottingham, England.
Watson, ranked No. 102 in the world, outlasted her American opponent by winning seven break points in 14 opportunities.
Countrywoman Harriet Dart was a 6-4, 6-3 winner over Croatian Donna Vekic, the 2017 champion at Nottingham. And Jodie Burrage of Great Britain won 35 of 44 first-service points to defeat Lin Zhu of China 7-6 (5), 6-4.
Tereza Martincova of the Czech Republic also won, beating France’s Oceane Dodin 7-6 (1), 7-5.
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Anna Kalinskaya of Russia defeated Dutch foe Suzan Lemens 7-6 (5), 6-3 to kick off the WTA 250 grass-court event at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.
Kalinskaya saved seven of nine break points and won 70 percent of her second-service points (16 of 23).
Seventh seed Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia and Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska were knotted 2-2 in the first set when inclement weather suspended the remainder of the day’s schedule. The top seed in the women’s singles draw, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, was supposed to play Kateryan Baindl of Ukraine before the suspension.
–Field Level Media