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Daria Kasatkina’s campaign at the Palermo Ladies Open began with a win on Tuesday. The world no. 11 came through 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-0 against home player, Martina Trevisan after two hours and 26 minutes. Kasatkina won 66% of her first-serve points but struggled to do well on her second serve.
She won only 31% of her second-serve points. In the second set, Kasatkina won only two of 10 points played on her second serve. In the deciding set, too, the 26-year-old’s second serve was shaky and she won only one of four points played.
But she was quite efficient behind her first serve and won all 11 points behind it. For the match, Kasatkina finished with 19 points more than Trevisan’s 81. In the second round, she will play qualifier Tatiana Prozorova.
The 236th-ranked Prozorova defeated Uzbekistan’s Nigina Abduraimova, 6-3, 6-4 in their round-of-32 clash in an hour and 37 minutes.
Palermo Ladies Open: Italians lose their way
Another Italian player who lost in the first round was Lucia Bronzetti.
Bronzetti, who was seeded sixth here, lost to Erika Andreeva after two hours and 42 minutes of play. Andreeva lost the first set 6-4 but finished the match with a strong 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 showing. Andreeva faced just one break point in the last two sets combined which she failed to save.
She, however, converted six of 12 break points that came her way on Bronzetti’s serve in the latter two sets. The world no. 159 will now play Camila Osorio. The Colombian got past French wildcard Fiona Ferro, 7-6(2), 6-1 in their first-round meeting.
Bronzetti’s compatriot and fourth seed, Elisabetta Cocciaretto also exited in the round-of-32. Sara Sorribes Tormo upset the Italian 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 in two hours and 41 minutes. The only seeded player from Italy who advanced to the second round was Jasmine Paolini.
Seeded fifth, the world no. 52 got past Arantxa Rus, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. Seeking to make it to the quarter-finals of the Palermo Ladies Open, Paolini will now play Dayana Yastremska. The Ukrainian beat Serbian qualifier Mia Ristic, 6-4, 6-2 in their first-round match.
Photo Credit: Palermo Ladies Open Twitter 