France’s Fiona Ferro took down No. 4 seed McCartney Kessler 6-7 (8), 6-2, 7-5 in a nearly three-hour opening match at the Open Capfinances Rouen Metropole on Monday in Rouen, France.
After each player saved a set point in the first-set tiebreaker, Kessler came out on top, but it was all Ferro from there. She hit five aces, saved 8 of 12 break points and converted 7 of 13 opportunities to break Kessler’s serve.
In her WTA debut, Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah of France stunned Italian seventh seed Lucia Bronzetti 6-2, 6-3. The 19-year-old won all nine of her service games and 28 of 37 first-service points (75.7 percent).
In other results, Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina swept past Japan’s Nao Hibino 6-0, 6-4 in 77 minutes, and Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse rallied past France’s Elsa Jacquemot 1-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Russian eighth seed Diana Shnaider survived a challenge from countrywoman Veronika Kudermetova and won 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 in the first round in Stuttgart, Germany.
Shnaider saved 3 of 5 break points and converted 4 of 5 chances to break Kudermetova.
Only two other matches were played in the main singles draw Monday. Anastasia Potapova of Russia saved a match point in the second-set tiebreaker and completed a 2-6, 7-6 (8), 6-3 comeback against Denmark’s Clara Tauson. Elise Mertens of Belgium defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus 7-6 (3), 6-2.
–Field Level Media
