Roberta Vinci dropped just three games to beat Lesia Tsurenko 6-2 6-1 in her first match as a top-10 player to set up a tough second round match against Russian teenager Daria Kasatkina in the WTA Premier 5 in Doha.
Vinci, the oldest WTA player ever to break the top 10 for the first time in her career, got off to a good start earning four break points but Tsurenko saved them with her serve. The first set went on serve until the fifth game when World Number 10 Vinci broke for the first time in the match as Tsurenko made a double fault. Vinci got the double break in the seventh game with a forehand passing shot before closing out on the first set point after 33 minutes. Vinci was perfect on her service games during a solid first set.
Tsurenko held her serve for the first time in the first game of the second set but Vinci got two consecutive breaks in the third game at deuce and in the fifth game to love to cruise to 4-1. Vinci closed out 6-1 on her second set point as Tsurenko hit her forehand into the net.
Sara Errani fought back from a set down to edge past Tsvetana Pironkova 1-6 7-5 6-3. Pironkova converted her second break point chance in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. Errani looked tired after clinching her first WTA Premier title in Dubai last Saturday and dropped her serve for the second time in the sixth game to trail 1-5. Pironkova rallied from 0-30 by winning four consecutive points to hold her serve and wrapped up the opening set 6-1 after 28 minutes.
Errani bounced back by breaking serve twice to race out to 4-0. Pironkova reeled off four consecutive games to draw level to 4-4. Errani faced a break point but she saved it with a forehand inside-out to win a crucial ninth game. Errani got the break in a hard-fought 12th game to win the 1-hour and 6-minute second set by 7-5
Errani carried the momentum into the third set and earned a break point in the second game but she did not converti t as she hit a backhand into the net. Errani broke serve in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead as Pironkova hit her forehand wide. Pironkova broke straight back in the fifth game. Errani got a decisive break to love in the 8th game. Pironkova rallied from 0-40 down in the final game to draw level to 40-40. After a thrilling ninth game Errani closed out a hard-fought match on the fifth match point after a 46-minute third set.
Daria Gavrilova dropped just two games to breeze aside Misaki Doi 6-1 6-1. Denisa Allertova knocked out Elina Svitolina 7-5 6-4 Russian qualifier Elena Vesnina upset Caroline Garcia 6-3 7-5. Monica Niculescu cruised through Sabine Lisicki 6-2 6-2. Caroline Wozniacki fought back from a set down to battle past Ana Konjuh 4-6 6-3 7-5. Timea Babos also rallied from a set down to take a three-set win over Madison Brengle by 3-6 7-5 6-0.
