Suarez ends eight-match losing streak in Tokyo
AFP
AFP, TOKYO: Carla Suarez Navarro ended her eight-match dry spell with a hard-earned 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 victory on Tuesday against Kateryna Bondarenko at the Pan Pacific Open.
It was the first victory for the 10th-ranked Spaniard since June and she suffered a first-round, straight-set defeat against the 83rd-ranked Bondarenko a week ago at the Japan Womens Open Tennis.
Suarez Navarro said that defeat gave her the insights to gain victory Tuesday against the Ukrainian.
Suarez Navarro said she had lost confidence as she kept losing match after match, with the negative feeling leading to psychological fatigue and more losses.
Now she hopes to regain her form as the current season draws towards its close, with only a handful of Asian tournaments to go.
In other matches German fifth-seed Angelique Kerber crushed Daria Gavrilova of Russia 6-2, 6-2.
It was Kerbers first appearance since her nail-biting US Open third-round showdown against Victoria Azarenka, when she lost but won much praise for her performance.
In other action, eighth-seed Belinda Bencic beat Chinas Xi Yi-Fan 6-0, 6-0.
Samantha Stosur of Australia beat Alison Riske of the United States 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Meanwhile, Romanian top seed Irina-Camelia Begu scored a comfortable victory over Ukrainian qualifier Kateryna Kozlova in the first round of the WTA Korea Open on Tuesday.
Begu, ranked 29th in the world, beat Kozlova in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 to set up a second-round meeting with Polona Hercog of Slovenia.
American third seed Sloane Stephens, ranked 32nd in the world, had little trouble against South Korean wildcard Han Na-Lae 6-1, 6-1.
