Google News
Aliaksandra Sasnovich advanced to the second round of the Hungarian Grand Prix on Monday. The fifth seed defeated Hungarian qualifier, Fanny Stollar, 6-3, 0-6, 6-3 in an hour and 43 minutes. Sasnovich dominated the match in the first and third sets.
However, in the second set, Stollar flipped the match entirely her way. The 135th-ranked Stollar was near-unplayable in the set as she won 89% of her first-serve and 80% of her second-serve points. She also didn’t face any break point and went on to break Sasnovich’s serve thrice.
Overall, in the match, Sasnovich lost her serve just once more – in the deciding set – and converted four break points on Stollar’s serve to move ahead in the draw.
Hungarian Grand Prix: Ukrainian players thrive
For a place in the quarter-finals, Sasnovich will play Bernarda Pera.
The American qualifier beat the Spanish lucky loser, Marina Bassols Ribera, 6-2, 7-5 in their first-round match. Pera needed an hour and 45 minutes for the win. She saved three of the four break points she faced and converted four of the seven break points she had on Bassols Ribera’s serve.
Ukrainian qualifier, Kateryna Baindl beat Hungary’s Timea Babos in their opening-round match-up. Baindl won 6-4, 6-3 in an hour and 39 minutes. The world no. 138 won 66% of her first-serve points and 50% of her second-serve points to Babos’ 55% and 46% points respectively.
She saved six of the eight break points she faced and secured four breaks on Babos’ serve. In the second round, Baindl will play another Hungarian, in wildcard Natalia Szabanin or the second seed, Martina Trevisan. Baindl’s compatriot, Lesia Tsurenko also took her place in the second round of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Tsurenko beat Brazilian qualifier, Carolina Alves 6-4, 6-1 in an hour and 23 minutes. Looking to reach the quarter-finals, Tsurenko will now play Kamilla Rakhimova. Rakhimova upset the seventh-seeded Elena-Gabriela Ruse, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-3 in their opener, in three hours and three minutes.