The American tennis player Lauren Davis, who is the champion in 2017, advanced to the second round of the hard court tennis tournament WTA 250 Auckland (New Zealand) with a prize fund of 259,303 USD.
Lauren Davis defeated the Slovenian Tamara Zidansek with 2-0 (6:2, 6:1) and will play against Danka Kovinic (Montenegro) for a place in the quarterfinals.
Danka Kovinic, who is 7th-seeded, eliminated the Japanese qualifier Nao Hibino at the start with 2-0 (6:1, 6:4).
Wild card participant Sofia Kenin (USA) also got off to a good start. The winner of the Australian Open in 2020, Sofia Kenin defeated China’s Wang Xinyu with 2-0 (7:6, 6:3). The American twice squandered a break lead early in the match, but in the ensuing tiebreak she rallied from 0-5 points down and saved two set points at 4-6 to earn a comeback. In the second set, Sofia Kenin took a lead of 3:0 and kept her lead until the end.
For a place in the quarterfinals, she will play against her compatriot and top-seeded, Coco Gauff.
The second-seeded and champion in the tournament in 2016 Sloane Stephens (USA) was eliminated in the first round after defeating the Spanish qualifier Rebeka Masarova with 0-2 (3:6, 6:7). The American lost a 5:2 game lead in the second set.
Karolina Muchova (Czech Republic) also advances after eliminating 5th-seeded Wang Xiyu after the Chinese withdrew due to injury.
