Qualifier Maryna Zanevska knocked off No. 2 seed and two-time champion Elise Mertens 6-4, 6-4 in an all-Belgian first-round clash Tuesday at the Hobart International in Australia.
Zanevska saved eight of 11 break points and converted five of her 12 break chances against her countrywoman, who won the WTA 250 tournament in 2017 and 2018.
Alison Van Uytvanck, also of Belgium, was a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 winner over No. 7 Magda Linette of Poland and Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy ousted No. 3 Alize Cornet of France 6-4, 6-2. Also moving on to the second round were No. 3 No. 6 Bernarda Pera, fellow American Sofia Kenin, Russia’s Anna Blinkova and Belgium’s Ysaline Bonaventure.
Adelaide International 2
No. 6 seed Veronika Kudermetova of Russia outlasted Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4 in the opening round in Australia.
No. 9 Paula Badosa of Spain had an easier time with a 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit in 74 minutes.
Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic eliminated 2022 finalist Alison Riske-Amritraj 6-2, 7-6 (3). Also advancing to the second round of the WTA 500 event were Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi, Czech Katerina Siniakova, Russian Anna Kalinskaya, China’s Qinwen Zheng and Amanada Anisimova of the U.S.
–Field Level Media
