Russian qualifier Daria Kasatkina upset St. Petersburg and Dubai finalist Elena Rybakina 6-2 3-6 6-3 after 1 hour and 51 minutes to reach the second round at the J&T Banka Open in Ostrava. Kasatkina hit 15 winners to 14 unforced errors compared to Rybakina’s ratio of 35 to 49.
Kasatkina scored her first top 20 win since she beat Aryna Sabalenka in the second round in Beijing last year.
Rybakina hit two winners to get her first break point in the second game to take a 2-0 lead. Kasatkina broke straight back after Rybakina made two backhand errors. Kasatkina broke serve to love in the fifth game with a smash and two double faults from Rybakina. Kasatkina earned her second consecutive break in the seventh game to win the opening set 6-2.
Kasatkina won seven consecutive games from 0-2 down to build up a 6-2 1-0 lead with a break in the first game of the second set with a lob. Rybakina earned her second consecutive break in the fourth game with a drop-shot to take a 3-1 lead. Kasatkina got the break back for the second time, but Rybakina broke for the third time to take control of the second set and served it out on her second set point.
Rybakina converted her second break point in the first game of the third set. Kasatkina broke straight back to love in the second game. Kasatkina broke for the second time with three passing shots to take a 3-1 lead and held her next service games to seal the win on her third match point with a service winner.
Kasatkina won the Roland Garros Junior title in 2014. In April 2017 the Russian player won her first WTA Tour title at the Charleston Open. The following year she won the WTA Premier title in Moscow and lost to Naomi Osaka in the Indian Wells final. She also reached two consecutive Grand Slam quarter finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. In October 2018 she reached her career-high of world number 10 in October 2018.
Kasatkina set up a second round clash against Jennifer Brady, who rallied from one set down to beat Jennifer Brady 3-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-1. Yastremska got two breaks in the fifth and ninth games to win the first set 6-3. Brady went up a break in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. Yastremska broke back in the 10th game to draw level to 5-5. Brady won the tie-break 8-6 before breaking twice in the second and sixth games to win the third set 6-1.
Veronika Kudemertova beat Donna Vekic 6-2 6-4. Kudemertova broke twice in the third and fifth games to win the first set 6-2. Kudemertova converted her second break point chance at deuce to go up a set and a break in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. Vekic broke back at love in the 10th game. Kudemertova converted her second break point chance to earn her chance to serve for the match. The Russian player came back from 0-40 down to serve out the decisive set 6-4.
Karolina Muchova eased past Karolina Muchova 6-1 6-1 with three breaks in the first set and two breaks in the second set.
