WTA roundup: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova cruises in Abu Dhabi


  • Tennis
  • Wednesday, 05 Feb 2025

FILE PHOTO: Jan 21, 2025; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Aryna Sabalenka plays a backhand during her match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarterfinals of the women's singles at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images/File Photo

No. 6 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia needed just 59 minutes to oust American Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-1 in the first round of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open on Tuesday.

Pavlyuchenkova won an overwhelming 80 percent of her service points, including 23 of 25 on her first serve. He never faced break point while breaking Kenin's serve four times in eight chances.

Tunisia's Ons Jabeur upset No. 7 seed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 7-6 (4), 7-5, by converting 6 of 11 break points and capitalizing on Ostapenko's eight double faults.

Eighth seed Leylah Fernandez of Canada outlasted Japan's Moyuka Uchijima 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0). Other first-round winners included Marketa Vondrousova and Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic, Switzerland's Belinda Bencic and Poland's Magda Linette.

Transylvania Open

The top two seeds, Russia's Anastasia Potapova and Serbia's Olga Danilovic, notched straight-sets victories in the first round in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

The top-seeded Potapova won the final eight games en route to a 6-4, 6-0 victory in 72 minutes over Austria's Julia Grabher. Danilovic saved 9 of 11 break points and converted 5 of 8 against American Alycia Parks in winning 6-3, 6-3.

American third seed Peyton Stearns rallied past France's Varvara Gracheva 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, while Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Russia upset No. 6 seed Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain 6-7 (0), 7-5, 6-4 in two hours and 53 minutes.

Not to be outdone, Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic battled past Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7) in three and a half hours. Italian seventh seed Elisabetta Cocciaretto, fellow Italian Lucia Bronzetti, Russian Anna Blinkova and Romania's Ana Bogdan also advanced.

--Field Level Media

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