Number 1 seed Daria Kasatkina battled past local favourite Qiang Wang 6-1 2-6 7-5 after 1 hour and 55 minutes to score her first win in the opening round-robin match of the Azalea Group of the Hengqin life WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai.
Both players held 28 break points between them. Kasatkina converted on 9 of her 12 break points and won 72 % of her first service points. Wang broke 8 times from her 16 chances. Wang earned three break points at 1-1, as Kasatkina made three double faults, but the Russian player saved them. Kasatkina held her serve to take a 2-1 lead at the third deuce. Kasatkina dropped just two more points in the next games of the first set. Kasatkina broke serve at love to take a 3-1 lead and held serve with an ace. She served out on her first set point two games later.
Wang converted all her four break points in the second set. Kasatkina got an early break in the second set. Wang broke straight back to draw level to 1-1, when Kasatkina made a double fault. Wang broke again at love with a forehand winner to build up a 3-1 lead. Kasatkina got back on serve in the next game. Wang took another break lead at 4-2 and held at love with a drop volley. At 5-2 Wang broke once more to win the second set 6-2 forcing the match to the third set.
Two holds of serve at the start of the decider were followed by nine consecutive breaks of serve. Kasatkina hit a forehand down the line at 30-30 to earn a match point on her serve and sealed the win, when Wang made a forehand winner.
Elise Mertens needed 66 minutes to beat Estonia’s Wuhan finalist Anett Kontaveit 6-3 6-1 to take the lead in the Rose Group.
Mertens drew the first blood by earning the early break in the opening game. Kontaveit reeled off eight points to break back at 2-1. Mertens earned a 4-3 lead after three consecutive breaks. The Belgian player reeled off the next two games to close out the first set 6-3.
Mertens went up a double break to race out to a 5-0 lead. Kontaveit got her first game on the scoreboard to avoid the bagel, but Mertens served out the match in the next game. The Australian Open semifinalist will face defending champion Julia Goerges in the next match. Mertens won three titles in Hobart, Lugano and Rabat, but was beaten in the first round in Wuhan, Beijing and Moscow.
“I played a good match today. The first match of a tournament is always very exciting. I love to be here in Zhuhai. It’s my first time in this city. It’s an honour to play in this court and to be here at this event”, said Mertens in the post match interview.
