Australia's Arina Rodionova upset No.5 seed and defending champion Duan Ying-Ying to advance to the second round of the WTA tournament in Nanchang, China.
Nanchang, Jiangxi, China, 26 July 2017 | tennis.com.au
Rodionova beat the fifth seed and defending champion 7-5 6-4 to set up a second-round meeting with Liu Fangzhou, also of China.
The pair had split four career meetings but Duan had won their last two, both in 2017; one of those matches came in the qualifying rounds at Apia International Sydney.
.@ArinaRodionova knocks out defending @JiangxiOpen champion Duan!
Claims 7-5, 6-4 victory! pic.twitter.com/qLs0iLb9hZ
— WTA (@WTA) July 25, 2017
“It was really tough conditions, it’s very humid,” Rodionova told wtatennis.com.
“I’ve played her this year twice, and I lost both times 7-6 in the third, so I knew it was going to be a really hard and physical match. I was preparing myself for it. I think today it was a little bit hard for both of us.
“I’m glad to manage to get through.”
In her last tournament, Rodionova qualified for the main draw at Wimbledon and advanced to the second round.
She has won five of her past six matches.