(Hong Kong) Leylah Annie Fernandez advanced to the second round of the Hong Kong Open on Tuesday after taking advantage of the retirement of top seed Victoria Azarenka with the match tied at 2-6, 6-3 and 0-0.
Azarenka, holder of two career Grand Slam titles, appeared to have injured her left leg at the start of the second set. Despite the intervention of a sports therapist, she had difficulty serving and moving afterwards, allowing the Quebecer to come from behind.
The Laval resident will face 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the next round, who dismissed Dayana Yastremska 6-4, 6-3.
For her part, Kamilla Rakhimova defeated eighth seed Varvara Gracheva 6-3, 6-2, while fifth seed Anna Blinkova led 4-6, 6-2, 5-1 when Yulia Putintseva threw in the towel.
Katerina Siniakova, Priscilla Hon and Linda Fruhvirtova also triumphed in the first round.
Earlier Tuesday, second seed Jelena Ostapenko was ousted 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4) by local favorite Back Da-yeon in the first round of the South Korea Open .
In her third participation in a WTA Tour tournament, each time at the South Korea Open, Back finally managed to get through the first round.
She seemed on track to suffer a third defeat in as many duels in the professional ranks, before finally raising her level of play a notch as she trailed 5-2 in the third set. Back first saved a match point, before winning the ultimate tiebreaker to sign the biggest victory of his career.
Furthermore, the fifth seed Sofia Kenin was also surprised 6-1, 6-4 by a South Korean – the 162nd racket in the world Jang Su-jeong. Jang will meet in the next round with American Emina Bektas, who defeated Laura Pigossi 6-7 (5), 6-4 and 7-5 in a duel that continued for three hours.
World No. 4 player Jessica Pegula won her first match 6-2, 6-4 against world No. 74 Viktoria Hruncakova.
The American, tournament favorite, will now face her compatriot Ashlyn Krueger, who eliminated Nadia Podoroska 6-2, 6-4 earlier in the day.
Eva Lys beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-2, 6-4, fourth seed Marie Bouzkova defeated Kayla Day 6-4, 6-4 and Kimberly Birrell defeated Sachia Vickery 6-4, 6-4 .
On the other hand, China Open finalist Liudmila Samsonova defeated Tatjana Maria 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of the Zhengzhou Open, while Vera Zvonareva surprised the ninth seed series Veronika Kudermetova 6-2, 7-6 (5).
Petra Martic disposed of Magda Linette 7-6 (5), 6-1, Laura Siegemund ousted Zhu Lin 6-2, 6-3 and Bai Zhuoxuan came from behind to defeat Tamara Korpatsch 1-6, 7- 6 (3) and 6-1.
Maria Sakkari and Ons Jabeur earned a bye into the second round. Sakkari will meet Zheng Qinwen there, while Jabeur will face Lucia Bronzetti.
