Home favourite Simona Halep battles back to reach second round of Bucharest Open

12 July 2016 09:23

Number one seed Simona Halep delighted the home crowd as she fought back to beat Barbora Krejcikova 3-6 6-1 6-1 and secure a place in the second round of the Bucharest Open.

Wimbledon quarter-finalist Halep, who won the Romanian tournament in 2014, struggled initially on the change of surface as she soon trailed 0-3 following an early break as Krejcikova eventually closed out the opening set.

However, the world number five soon regrouped and reeled off an impressive run of games to complete her turnaround.

Halep will next face Bulgarian qualifier Isabella Shinikova, who came through 6-2 3-6 6-3 against Kateryna Kozlova.

Number two seed Sara Errani, a finalist last year, coasted past Serbian Aleksandra Krunic 6-3 6-2 to set up a second-round game against Fed Cup team-mate Francesca Schiavone, who beat Bulgarian qualifier Elitsa Kostova 6-2 7-6 (7-3).

Laura Siegemund, the fourth seed from Germany, is also through after beating Brazil's Teliana Pereira 6-2 6-2.

Rain hit the Ladies Championship Gstaad in Switzerland, where top seed Timea Bacsinszky was only one of two players to be able to make progress as the home favourite defeated Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain 6-3 6-2.

Johanna Larsson, the sixth seed from Sweden, also beat the weather, as she saw off American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 7-5 6-2.

Bacsinszky will play Mandy Minella in the second round.

Wednesday's order of play has been revised to try to make up for the lost matches, with Switzerland's Patty Schnyder and number two seed Jelena Jankovic both set to be in action, along with French Open semi-finalist Kiki Bertens.

Source: PA