Birmingham | Cocciaretto upsets defending champ Ostapenko

No Brits had been in motion on the primary day of the Rothesay Traditional in Birmingham and the looks of Jelena Ostapenko was transient because the No 1 seed was surprised by Elisabetta Cocciaretto, whereas there have been wins for seeds Leylah Fernandez and Anastasia Potapova however Sorana Cirstea was upset by Zhu lin.

Ostapenko lifted the trophy right here final 12 months however her title defence was short-lived as Italy’s Cocciaretto took down the Latvian, 6-3 6-3, within the 1st-round.

The Latvian, presently ranked 13 within the World, received her second profession title on grass final June however couldn’t get previous the Italian on the Edgbaston Priory Membership.

The previous Roland Garros champion produced a subdued efficiency within the first set, displaying indicators of weak point on her second serve, and though she settled into the match within the second, Cocciaretto remained in commanding place to earn a solitary break to take a 5-2 lead.

Ostapenko, who appeared on the cusp of a break-through, conjured 4 rapid break factors on the Italian’s serve, however did not convert any of them.

After a mighty maintain by the reigning champion, getting back from the brink after Cocciaretto earned herself 3 match factors, it appeared Ostapenko would possibly pull off a turn-around, however Cocciaretto finally prevailed on serve on her seventh match level, sealing a straight-sets victory in an hour and 42 minutes.

Cocciaretto saved 8 of 9 break factors whereas taking down the No 1 seed, and scored her 4th profession High 20 win, her first off clay.

© Paul Harding/Getty Pictures for LTA

The Italian takes on former US Open champion Sloane Stephens, after the American was a 6-3 6-3 winner over China’s Yuan Yue.

The opening set alone accounted for six of seven breaks of serve received by each gamers within the match, however after claiming 3 consecutive video games on the tail finish of the opener, the American edged forward earlier than consolidating her efforts with a solitary break within the second to seal the match in 1 hour and 27 minutes.

One other Chinese language, Zhu Lin, posted a 7-6(2) 6-2 upset win over Third-seeded Sorana Cirstea from Romania, and she’s going to meet Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic, who simply beat Russian Anna Blinkova, 6-2 6-1.

No 6  seed Canadian Leylah Fernandez additionally rolled to a 6-1 6-1 straightforward win over Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo, and can meet Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic, who outpaced fellow qualifier Camila Osorio from Colombia, 6-4 1-6 6-3.

No 7 seed Anastasia Potapova notched up a 6-4 6-4 victory over fellow Russian Elina Avanesyan and can face Lucia Bronzetti in spherical 2, after the Italian outlasted Polish qualifier Magdalena Frech, 2-6 6-3 6-4.

British No 1 Katie Boulter, recent from retaining her title in Nottingham on Sunday, is ready to make the brief journey throughout the Midlands to start her Birmingham marketing campaign in opposition to Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine on Tuesday, with former World No 1 Caroline Wozniacki from Denmark opening play on Day 2 on the Ann Jones Centre Court docket at 11am.

Sloane Stephens beat Yuan Yue on Monday and can play Elisabetta Cocciaretto in spherical 2

© Paul Harding/Getty Pictures for LTA