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Diana Shnaider put aside her early defeat at the Hungarian Grand Prix last week to begin on a successful note at the Hamburg European Open. On Monday, the world no. 101 came through against Polina Kudermetova 6-0, 4-6, 6-4 to reach the second round.
Shnaider needed an hour and 41 minutes to get the win. Shnaider won 77% of her first-serve points to Kudermetova’s 63%. Kudermetova’s 14 double faults also cost her the match. She combined a total of 10 double faults in the first and third sets.
Shnaider had seven aces to her opponent’s five. Shnaider saved three of the five break points she faced and converted seven of 19 break points she created on Kudermetova’s serve. Shnaider will play fifth seed Julia Grabher next.
The Austrian defeated Romanian qualifier Miriam Bulgaru 6-4, 6-4 in their first-round match.
Hamburg European Open: All eyes on Norma Noha Akugue
Another seed who won her first-round match on Monday was sixth seed Yulia Putintseva.
The Kazakh got past French qualifier Elsa Jacquemot, 6-2, 6-4 in 70 minutes. Putintseva won 70% points on her second serve and 67% points on return on Jacquemot’s second serve. She also converted five of six break points that came her way.
Bernarda Pera, who lost to Shnaider in the first round in Budapest last week, also made a return to winning ways. Turkish qualifier Zeynep Sonmez put the third-seeded American through her paces before the latter clinched a 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 win after an hour and 55 minutes of play.
The last seed to reach the second round on Monday was eighth seed Camila Osorio. The Colombian won against Kamilla Rakhimova, 6-4, 6-3. The most notable win of the day was that of home player Norma Noha Akugue. The 19-year-old, ranked 203rd in the world, received a wildcard into the main draw of the Hamburg European Open.
Noha Akugue defeated Laura Pigossi in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4. 