High-seeded Jessica Pegula and previous champion Madison Keys simply received second-round matches on the Charleston Open on Wednesday.
Pegula, the American ranked third on this planet, wanted lower than 65 minutes to beat Anna Blinkova of Russia 6-2, 6-0.
Keys, an American who took this title in 2019, labored a few minutes extra (69) to oust countrywoman Hailey Baptiste 6-1, 6-2 within the season’s opening clay-court event.
Pegula stated the event on the Credit score One Tennis Middle feels acquainted to her since she used to coach on the facility when she grew up on Hilton Head Island, about two hours south of Charleston.
“It was a enjoyable sort of interval of my life, like maturing and rising into my profession, and, yeah, figuring issues out,” she stated. “So it was a good time, and I cherished everybody right here.”
Pegula used a robust service recreation and regular groundstrokes to win the primary 4 video games of the match. She completed successful greater than 71% of her first serves and didn’t have a double fault.
“I assume that’s the way you wish to play first match on clay and with a fast turnaround coming off the laborious court docket,” Pegula stated. “So simply glad I obtained a very good win.”
Keys placed on a dominant present as effectively, successful all six break factors Baptiste had in opposition to her.
In different matches, No. 3 seed Daria Kasatkina of Russia topped Madison Brengle of the USA, 6-2, 6-1; seventh-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia defeated countrywoman Yulia Putintseva, 6-1, 6-3; Twelfth-seeded Paula Badosa of Spain beat Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, 7-5, 7-6 (6); and Fifteenth-seeded Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania defeated American Sofia Kenin, 6-1, 6-4.
Fifth-seeded Veronika Kudermetova of Russia fell to countrywoman Diana Shnaider, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3.