American Coco Vandeweghe on Wednesday produced a merciless display to beat compatriot Sloane Stephens 6-1, 6-0 and world No. 1 Simona Halep fought back to claim a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Magdalena Rybarikova at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Vandeweghe, who teamed up with Stephens last weekend to help the US defeat France and reach the Fed Cup final, was broken to love in the first game by the US Open champion.
However, Stephens dropped her own serve in the next game as Vandeweghe reeled off 12 consecutive games to wrap up victory in 56 minutes in the opening-round clash in Stuttgart, Germany.
Vandeweghe, ranked No. 16, recorded her first victory over Stephens on clay, having lost their only previous encounter on the surface in Strasbourg, France, in 2015.
“I really don’t like clay, it’s my least favorite surface,” said Vandeweghe, who is to meet Laura Siegemund in the next round. “I’ll never like it. This is my second time in Germany — I’m not here for the clay, it’s more the shopping. I didn’t come out here to play and lose.”
Halep came back from a set down against Slovakia’s Rybarikova in their second-round match.
The 26-year-old Romanian relied on her ferocious ground strokes to secure a decisive break in the sixth game of the final set and went on to book a spot in the quarter-finals.
Former world No. 1 Angelique Kerber avenged last weekend’s Fed Cup defeat to collect a 6-3, 6-2 win over Czech Petra Kvitova in their first-round match.
The German is to meet Anett Kontaveit in the last 16 after the Estonian saved two match points to knock out last year’s runner-up, Kristina Mladenovic, 5-7, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/5).
Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova battled past US Open runner-up Madison Keys 7-6 (9/7), 5-7, 6-4.
The 26-year-old is to take on second seed Garbine Muguruza in the second round.
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