Defending champion and number 6 seed Roberta Vinci edged past Timea Babos 6-3 3-6 6-4 in 2 hours and 6 minutes to reach the second round at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy. Vinci dropped her serve five times but managed to get through to the second round where she will face German Andrea Petkovic. Vinci beat Babos in the tie-break of the third set in the quarter final of last year’s edition in St. Petersburg.
Vinci broke serve in the second game to race out to a 3-0 lead and failed to convert two break points in the fourth game. Babos rallied from 15-40 to hold her service game before breaking back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. The Hungarian player fought back from 0-40 down on her serve to hold her serve for 3-3. Vinci hit a lob to get the break in the 8th game and hit two aces to serve out for the set 6-3 after 37 minutes.
Vinci went up a set and a break in the first game of the second set. Babos broke straight back in the second game and held her serve in a hard-fought third game. Vinci was aggressive on her rival’s serve failed to convert on her break point in the fifth game. Babos broke serve in the sixth game to open up a 4-2 lead. Vinci broke back at deuce in the seventh game to claw her back to 3-4. Babos got another break for 5-3 and served out for the second set in the ninth game after 43 minutes.
Babos started the decisive set with an early break. Vinci broke back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Vinci earned a break point in the seventh game but Babos saved it with a first serve winner. Vinci rallied from 15-40 down to hold her serve in the ninth game.
Babos saved a match point at 30-40 on her serve with a backhand winner but Vinci broke serve on her second opportunity with a superb backhand volley to close out the third set after two hours and four minutes.
Vinci will face Andrea Petkovic, who overcame Irina Begu 6-1 7-5.
Kristina Mladenovic beat this year’s Hobart tournament Elise Mertens 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 to set up a second round match against this year’s Australian Open finalist Venus Williams.
Yulia Putintseva was leading 6-1 1-0 as Johanna Larsson withdrew from the match. Putintseva will take on Annika Beck from Germany. Ana Konjuh fought back from one set down to edge Monica Niculescu 1-6 6-3 6-2.
