Eugenie Bouchard cruised past Annicka Beck 6-2 6-1 to reach the second round at the Connecticut Open in New Haven. The Canadian star broke twice in the second and eighth games to cruise through to winning the first set 6-2. She got two more breaks in the second and sixth games to close out the second set 6-1.
Ekaterina Makarova beat Sara Errani 7-5 6-2. The Russian player now lead 4-3 in her head-to-head matches with her Italian rival.
Errani did not convert her two break points in the first game of the opening set. The Italian got a double break in the third and fifth games and held her service game to love in the sixth game. Makarova got one of the two breaks back in the seventh game. Errani earned three set points (including two consecutive chances at 40-15) but Makarova broke serve to level the match. The three missed set points were a blow for Errani, who won just one point in the next two games and dropped her serve again in the 10th game.
Makarova got a double break in the fourth and eighth games to wrap up the second set 6-2. Errani did not earn a single break point in the whole set.
Elina Svitolina beat Daria Kasatkina 6-4 5-7 6-0. Both players traded breaks early in the first two games of the opening set. Svitolina broke again in the fifth game and earned two more break points in the seventh game but Kasatkina saved both opportunities. Svitolina closed out the opening set 7-5 on her second set point.
There was another trade of breaks at the start of the second set. Svitolina got another break but Kasatkina broke twice to win the second set forcing the match to the decider. Svitolina bounced back by breaking three times to win the third set by a bagel.
In the qualifying round Maria Sakkari beat Camila Giorgi 6-3 6-3. Giorgi got the first break of the match but Sakkari broke straight back in the sixth game. Sakkari broke again in the eighth game and held her service game to take the first set. Sakkari broke twice in the first and third games to wrap up the match 6-3. Giorgi struggled on serve and held only a service game in the second set.
Madison Keys withdrew from the Connecticut Open after injuring her neck during a practice session ahead of the New Haven tournament. Keys recently reached the semifinals at the Rio Olympic Games where she lost to Petra Kvitova in the bronze medal match.
Despite the defeat in the qualifying round Giorgi replaced injured Madison Keys as a lucky loser. Elina Vesnina beat Giorgi 6-1 6-4. The Russian player broke twice at the start of the opening set. Giorgi did not earn a single break point to drop the first set 6-1. Vesnina went up a break in the second game of the second set. Giorgi had to fend off three break points in the second set and managed to hold her serve at deuce. In the seventh game Giorgi earned four break points but failed to convert them. The Italian broke serve in the ninth game and served out for the set but dropped her service game
“Coming off a good Montreal tournament and having a good Olympics, I wanted to have another good week before the Open”, said Keys.
