By Field Level Media
Oct 20 (Field Level Media) - Sixth-seeded Russian Diana Shnaider survived a 7-5, 7-6 (4) challenge from Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva in first-round action on Tuesday at the Ningbo Open in China.
Shnaider rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the opening set and dug out of a 5-3 hole in the second set to finish the match in 2 hours and 26 minutes. Shnaider overcame 49 unforced errors -- 28 more than Putintseva -- by saving nine of 14 break points and compiling a 34-18 advantage in winners.
No. 5 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, the only other seeded player in action, was leading 6-3, 1-1 when Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko was forced to retire after 62 minutes. Bencic's second-round opponent at the WTA 500 event will be Poland's Katarzyna Kawa, who rallied for a 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 defeat of Ukraine's Daria Snigur.
Also moving to the second round were Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova, Italy's Jasmine Paolini, Uzbekistan's Polina Kudermetova and the Czech Republic's Sara Bejlek.
Japan Open
No. 1 seed Ann Li avoided the upset bug in Osaka and rallied for a 5-7, 6-0, 6-3 first-round win against Australia's Emerson Jones in just under 2 hours in Osaka.
The 26-year-old American delivered 10 aces, saved five of eight break points and posted a decisive 34-13 edge in winners. Li will face Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez in the second round of the WTA 250 event after she also came from behind for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Australia's Maya Joint.
No. 2 Peyton Stearns and No. 7 Oleksandra Oliynykova made early exits. Stearns retired trailing 4-0 in the third set against Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic, while fellow American Mary Stoiana knocked out Ukraine's Oliynykova 6-2, 6-3. No. 8 seed Katie Boulter of Great Britain was a 6-3, 6-1 winner against Japan's Himeno Sakatsume.
Others advancing to the second round included Poland's Magda Linette, Czech Tereza Valentova, Croatia's Antonia Ruzic, Japan's Moyuka Uchijima and Kayla Day. Day only needed 71 minutes to eliminate U.S. compatriot Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-2.
(--Field Level Media)
