Olga Govortsova, ranked No. 83 in the world, ended a frustrating run of results with a convincing 6-2, 6-4 victory over second seed Samantha Stosur in the second round of the Bank of the West Classic on Tuesday.
Govortsova won back-to-back matches for the first time this season. She had lost seven of her previous eight entering the tournament.
“It helped that I had the extra match and I played four matches in World Team Tennis last weekend,” Govortsova said. “I don’t think she has played since Wimbledon.”
Photo: EPA
The 25-year-old Belarussian beat Germany’s Julia Goerges in straight sets in the first round.
Govortsova earned her ninth win over a top 20 opponent and her first since beating Agnieszka Radwanska via retirement in New Haven, Connecticut, last year. It was also the first time she has reached a quarter-final this season.
Stosur, ranked 13th, reached the third round at Wimbledon. The Australian was knocked out in the first round for the first time since early May — a span of five tournaments.
“She was playing quite well and I wasn’t able to combat what she was able to do,” Stosur said. “Things were slowly turning around and I had a break to go 5-5. I gave myself a chance to get back into the match, but I had to win that last game.”
Stosur had 10 double faults, including two in a row at one point.
“That didn’t set a good tone for the match,” she said. “It is inexcusable to get that many in one match.”
Seventh seed Urszula Radwanska downed Christina McHale of the US 6-1, 6-3, while Daniela Hantuchova beat Yanina Wickmayer 6-2, 4-6, 6-0 in their first-round match.
“I’ve played for a long time, but not for myself until now,” Hantuchova said. “I’m very relaxed, playing for myself and enjoying the pressure. I can see the results on the court.”
In other matches, sixth seed Varvana Lepchenko of the US beat qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito of Portugal 6-2, 6-4; qualifier Coco Vandeweghe, a finalist last year, downed Romania’s Monica Niculescu 6-0, 6-3; Austria’s Tamira Paszek was ahead 6-1, 6-7 (4/7), 3-0 and advanced when Russian qualifier Alla Kudryavtseva retired; and Russian qualifier Vera Dushevina topped New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic 6-2, 6-1.
In the first round of the doubles, Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Vera Dushevina of Russia defeated Canadian duo Gabriela Dabrowski and Sharon Fichman 6-4, 6-0.
Additional reporting by staff writer
? BAKU CUP
AP, BAKU
Top seed and defending champion Bojana Jovanovski advanced to the second round of the Baku Cup, overcoming a rough start to beat Nigina Abduraimova of Uzbekistan 6-3, 6-3 on Tuesday.
Serbia’s Jovanovski lost the first three games, before taking the next six. In the second set, she broke serve twice, but dropped her serve in each subsequent game and twice double-faulted on match points.
Also on the outdoor hard courts of the Baku Tennis Academy, Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic eliminated eighth seed Vesna Dolonc of Serbia 6-1, 6-2.
Pliskova fired six aces and saved all three of her break points.
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