Teen qualifier Clara Tauson of Denmark upset top-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia 6-3, 6-4 on Monday in the first round of the Lyon Open in France.
The 18-year-old Tauson saved six of nine break points and improved her 2021 record to 15-3 with the victory in one hour and 32 minutes. Her next opponent will be Hungary’s Timea Babos, a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 winner over Russia’s Varvara Gracheva.
Other seeded players in action included No. 2 Fiona Ferro of France, who rallied for a 5-7, 7-5, 7-5 win against Poland’s Magdalena Frech. Serbia’s Nina Stojanovic upset No. 6 Sorana Cirstea of Romania in 75 minutes. No. 8 Arantxa Rus held off China’s Wang Xiyu 7-6 (6), 6-4.
Qatar Total Open
Two-time champion and No. 8 seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus rolled to a 6-2, 6-3 win against Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova in the opening round in Doha, Qatar.
Azarenka, who won the event in 2012 and 2013, saved seven of nine break points during the one-hour, 51-minute match. She will face either Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina or Germany’s Laura Siegemund in the second round.
Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit eased past No. 7 seed Jennifer Brady 6-1, 6-2. Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko crushed No. 5 Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands 6-0, 6-2. Spain’s Garbine Muguruza posted a 6-2, 7-6 (4) win against Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova. Germany’s Angelique Kerber was a 6-4, 6-2 winner against Turkey’s Cagla Buyukakcay. Maria Sakkari of Greece defeated Egypt’s Mayar Sherif 6-0, 6-3.
–Field Level Media
