Aryna Sabalenka, returning from a lengthy hiatus caused in part by a positive COVID-19 test, recorded a 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-1 victory over Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic on Wednesday in the second round of the VTB Kremlin Cup in Moscow.
The top-seeded Belarusian withdrew from the event in Indian Wells two weeks ago after her positive test, and she received a first-round bye in Moscow. As a result, Wednesday marked her first action since falling to Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the semifinals of the U.S. Open.
Second-seeded Garbine Muguruza also needed three sets to win her opener, defeating the Czech Republic’s Tereza Martincova 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
The two Russian players in action Wednesday both won their second-round contests. Fourth-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova topped the United States’ Bernarda Pera 6-2, 7-5, and Ekaterina Alexandrova routed Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina 6-4, 6-1.
Tenerife Ladies Open
Maria Camila Osorio Serrano beat a top-10 player for the first time in her career, as the 19-year-old Colombian upset top-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 in the first round at Tenerife, Spain.
The day’s other action in the Canary Islands consisted of three second-round matches.
Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova beat Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian 6-2, 7-5. The United States’ Ann Li got past Russia’s Varvara Gracheva 6-4, 6-2, and France’s Alize Cornet advanced when China’s Xinyu Wang retired while trailing 6-1, 6-7 (5), 4-1.
–Field Level Media
