Laura Siegemund pleased the home crowd as she battled back from a set down and defeated lucky loser Viktoriya Tomova 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1 to open the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on Monday in Stuttgart, Germany.
Siegemund, the top-ranked German woman in the world rankings at No. 51, won this event in 2017 and has not won a singles title on tour since. The 38-year-old saved 7 of 11 break points on Monday and benefited from her Bulgarian opponent’s nine double faults.
In the only other match of the day, Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova defeated Antonia Ruzic of Croatia 6-0, 6-4.
Open Capfinances Rouen Metropole
No. 5 seed Ann Li smashed 13 aces and fended off Australia’s Daria Kasatkina 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-4 to kick off the tournament in Rouen, France.
Li, who went one-and-done last week in Austria with an upset loss to Dayana Yastremska, avoided a similar fate by converting 7 of 9 chances to break Kasatkina’s serve while saving 6 of 10 break points she faced.
Li’s fellow Americans were not as fortunate. Veronika Podrez of Ukraine ousted Sloane Stephens 6-2, 6-1 in 70 minutes, while Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova defeated Elvina Kalieva 6-3, 7-6 (1). Great Britain’s Katie Boulter was a 6-2, 6-2 winner over Uzbekistan’s Maria Timofeeva.
–Field Level Media
