ESTORIL, Portugal — Latvian Anastasija Sevastova has started her week in winning ways, knocking top seed Agnes Szavay out of the Estoril Open 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.
With a current world ranking of 33, Agnes Szavay held the no.1 seeding in Estoril, with most of the top players opting to play elsewhere this week.
Having played in the ATP’s second tier competition in recent weeks, Sevastova showed that the lower level of competition had little effect on her game, displaying a game beyond her current 74 world ranking.
It was the second time the up and coming stars had met on the ATP tour with Szavay prevailing in the previous encounter.
Unlike the men’s game, it would seem the holding serve is not as important on the women’s tour with both players breaking each other on any number of occasion only to break straight back.
In the first set Szavay was able to break Sevastova three times compared to the two times she was broken herself, doing enough to take the set 6-3.
The advantage was in favor of Sevastova in the second set breaking her opponent twice, winning 6-3 to even the match up to one set apiece, confirming a third and deciding set.
Breaking Szavay for a second time at 3-3 saw Sevastova move ahead and when she was able to hold onto her own serve she found herself in the prime position to take the set and match at 5-3.
Szavay faltered with her back up against the wall, handing Sevastova two match points at 15-40. It proved her undoing with Sevastova not missing her chance, taking the game set and match 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Sevastova will not meet Kimmiko Date Krumm of Japan in the second round. Date Drumm is currently ranked six places above the Latvian in the world ranking at 68.
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