Belinda Bencic survived a scare as she advanced to the Charleston Open second round with a 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 win over Wang Xiyu.
The Olympic gold medallist was a semi-finalist in Miami last time out, while she has also reached the quarter-finals in Sydney and St Petersburg this year.
Advertisement
However, the 10th seed was in danger of falling at the first hurdle at 5-2 down in the second set against world number 149 Wang.
Bencic rallied to force a tie-break and, subsequently, a deciding set, which she controlled to set up a second-round clash with 16-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova.
Experience & NOUS
— wta (@WTA) April 5, 2022
2014 semifinalist@BelindaBencic digs deep to turn it around against Wang!
Faces Fruhvirtova next at the #CharlestonOpen pic.twitter.com/DLPpAKbIag
Magda Linette also fought back from the brink of defeat; the world number 64 saving a match point before prevailing against Maria Voleynets 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-4).
Although, there was no joy for former champion Sloane Stephens, who was beaten in three sets by Zheng Qinwen.
Stephens – winner here in 2016 – recovered from losing the opening set 6-3 to take the second 6-4. But there was no denying the Chinese teenager, who dropped just nine points as she raced through the decider 6-0 to claim the first top-50 win of her career.
First Top 50 win of her career
— wta (@WTA) April 5, 2022
Zheng Qinwen gets past 2016 champion Stephens in three sets with a powerful display!#CharlestonOpen pic.twitter.com/Ej6TCxlNBS
The likes of Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys were due to feature in the evening session, which was postponed due to severe inclement weather including the possible threat of a tornado.
In Bogota, top seed and home favourite Camila Osorio advanced to the last 16, but only after opponent Ylena In-Albon was forced to retire at 2-2 in the deciding set.
Fourth seed Hanna Udvardy and eighth seed Harriet Dart were beaten in straight sets by Dayana Yastremska and Elina Avanesyan respectively.
