Katherine Sebov of Canada returns to Jessica Pegula during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 23, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Qualifier Katherine Sebov of Toronto spotted American Lauren Davis the first set then stormed back with 6-1,6-2 victories on Monday to advance to the round of 32 at the Charleston Open.
Sebov, who dropped the first set 6-4, will play Wednesday against fourth-seeded Belinda Bencic of Switzerland.
Against Davis, Sebov had one ace and only one double fault in the two-hour, nine-minute women’s singles match. Davis had no aces and committed 11 double faults.
Sebov was good on 78 per cent of her first serves, compared to 44 per cent for her opponent. Sebov saved two of five break points, while Davis went 3-for-9.
Sebov defeated American Francesca Di Lorenzo on Sunday 6-4, 6-2.
Meanwhile, two-time Grand Slam semifinalist Elina Svitolina played a WTA match for the first time as a mother on Monday, losing to Yulia Putintseva 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-4.
Svitolina has been ranked as high as No. 3 and is currently No. 1,081, because she was off the professional tennis tour for a little more than a year. She and her husband, fellow player Gael Monfils, became parents in October, when their daughter, Skaï, was born.
The first-round match in the main stadium of a tournament played on green clay lasted two hours, 46 minutes on a cloudy, breezy day and was filled with momentum swings.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2023.
