The highest seeded player participating in the first round of matches at the Western and Southern Open has fallen at the first hurdle.
World No.17 Elena Rybakina was knocked out 7-5, 7-6(6), by Russia’s Elena Alexandrova who is just 10 places below her in the WTA rankings. Taking part in her first WTA match since the Doha Open in February, the Kazakh was broken twice during what was a encounter of fine margins at times. Both players produced more unforced errors than winners in what was an expected scenario given the five-month break due to COVID-19. Rybakina’s ratio was 18-25 and Alexandrova’s was 24-27.
“It feels great to play here (at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center) and win,” said Alexandrova.
“The second set was tougher than the first one. I think I was lucky at the end of the second set but I’m glad it ended up well.”
A tentative start by the ninth seed left her trailing early on as she fell behind 2-5 before battling back to draw level with the use of some clever angle shots. Still, it wasn’t enough to tame her Russian rival who went on to break once again and clinch the opener. It was a much closer encounter during the second frame with 12 consecutive games going to serve. Then in the tiebreak, Rybakina had a duo of set point opportunities to force proceedings into a decider. However, Alexandrova tamed the threat before going on to have a match point in her favour. She converted on her first chance after hitting a winning return.
The result is a case of deja vu for both players following their meeting in the final of the Shenzhen Open at the start of this year. On that occasion Alexandrova dropped only six games during her 6-2, 6-4, win to claim her maiden WTA title.
“It (Shenzhen) gave me a lot of confidence but it was so long ago,” she said.
The 25-year-old is bidding to claim back-to-back matches this week for the first time since the WTA Tour resumed. In her two previous tournaments in Palermo and Prague, her only victory was over Kristina Mladenovic. At the Western and Southern Open she will play either Iga Świątek or Christina McHale in the second round.
In other early matches on the first day of main draw action, unseeded Mladenovic disposed of Anastasija Sevastova 6-3, 6-4. Meanwhile, Barnarda Pera downed Heather Watson 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
At the tournament all of the top eight seeded players have a bye in the first round.
