Bouchard defies rain to reach second round

AFP, EASTBOURNE (UK): Former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard beat Varvara Lepchenko 6-1, 6-2 in the rain-affected first round of the Eastbourne International on Monday.
The 46th-ranked Canadian, who lost to Petra Kvitova in the 2014 Wimbledon final, won her second grasscourt match of the season against the American.
Bouchard is playing the main draw in Eastbourne for just the second time after reaching the third round a year ago.
Ekaterina Makarova of Russia, the 2014 champion, produced one of three defeats of British women on the day, dispatching 229th-ranked Tara Moore 7-5, 6-4.
Her compatriot Elena Vesnina, who won the trophy in 2010, beat Heather Watson 6-2, 6-3 and next plays holder Belinda Bencic.
Monica Puig of Puerto Rico put out Naomi Broady 6-1, 6-1 to complete a miserable day for home players at Devonshire Park.
German Andrea Petkovic advanced over Zheng Saisai of China in a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 comeback victory.
Bencic was eager for training time during the day's rainy start, but puzzled as to why organisers failed to cover any of the training courts. The overnight and morning rain which soaked the seaside facility did little to help the courts, left to the elements on a chilly day of 15 Celsius temperatures.
Local officials explained that the training courts have no proper drainage, which is required to make covers work. As the area is a public park for the rest of the year, the investment was likely not deemed critical.
The 19-year-old Bencic, ranked eighth, is keen to get stuck into her final week before the June 27 start of Wimbledon after slightly injuring her leg when slipping last week in Birmingham, a fall which forced her to retire in the first round.

Bouchard defies rain to reach second round

AFP, EASTBOURNE (UK): Former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard beat Varvara Lepchenko 6-1, 6-2 in the rain-affected first round of the Eastbourne International on Monday. The 46th-ranked Canadian, who lost to Petra Kvitova in the 2014 Wimbledon final, won her second grasscourt match of the season against the American. Bouchard is playing the main draw in Eastbourne for just the second time after reaching the third round a year ago. Ekaterina Makarova of Russia, the 2014 champion, produced one of three defeats of British women on the day, dispatching 229th-ranked Tara Moore 7-5, 6-4. Her compatriot Elena Vesnina, who won the trophy in 2010, beat Heather Watson 6-2, 6-3 and next plays holder Belinda Bencic. Monica Puig of Puerto Rico put out Naomi Broady 6-1, 6-1 to complete a miserable day for home players at Devonshire Park. German Andrea Petkovic advanced over Zheng Saisai of China in a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 comeback victory. Bencic was eager for training time during the days rainy start, but puzzled as to why organisers failed to cover any of the training courts. The overnight and morning rain which soaked the seaside facility did little to help the courts, left to the elements on a chilly day of 15 Celsius temperatures. Local officials explained that the training courts have no proper drainage, which is required to make covers work. As the area is a public park for the rest of the year, the investment was likely not deemed critical. The 19-year-old Bencic, ranked eighth, is keen to get stuck into her final week before the June 27 start of Wimbledon after slightly injuring her leg when slipping last week in Birmingham, a fall which forced her to retire in the first round.