Shuai Zhang reached the second round of the Palermo Ladies Open on Monday with a 7-6(3), 7-6(7) win over Rebekah Masarova. Zhang needed an hour and 55 minutes to complete the match. Zhang won 74% of her first-serve points to the Spaniard’s 67%.
However, it was Masarova who won more points off her second serves – 53% to Zhang’s 43%. Both players secured three breaks of serve each in the match. In the second round, Zhang will play Italian Jasmine Paolini.
Paolini beat Anna-Karolina Schmiedlova 6-3, 6-1 in 66 minutes in their first-round match. Paolini won 66% of her first-serve points and 77% of her second-serve points. In comparison, her Slovakian opponent managed to win only 48% of her first-serve points and 33% of her second-serve points.
Paolini also converted five of the six break points she had on Schmiedlova’s serve while losing her serve once in the match.
Palermo Ladies Open: Sara Sorribes Tormo survives
Fourth seed Sara Sorribes Tormo overturned a 2-6, 0-3 deficit in her first-round match against Romania’s Ana Bogdan to reach the second round.
The Spaniard went on to prevail 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 after three hours and 19 minutes. In the second round, Sorribes Tormo will play French qualifier, Leolia Jeanjean. Jeanjean beat Switzerland’s Ylena In-Albon, 6-2, 6-4 in an hour and 32 minutes.
Jeanjean won 67% of her first-serve points to In-Albon’s 59% and 58% of her second-serve points to the latter’s 33%. She saved three of the four break points she faced while converting four of the six break points on the Swiss’ serve.
Jeanjean’s fellow Frenchwoman, Oceane Dodin also reached the second round of the Palermo Ladies Open. Dodin beat Italian qualifier Matilde Paoletti, 6-4, 7-5 in their opener in an hour and 48 minutes. Looking to reach the quarter-finals, Dodin will play sixth seed Irina-Camelia Begu. The Romanian defeated Spanish qualifier Marina Bassols Ribera, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in their opening-round encounter.