Guangzhou Open: Diana Shnaider sets up upset in opener!

09/18/2023 11:12 AM

Diana Shnaider marked her debut at the Guangzhou Open with a win over Claire Liu in the first round. The 19-year-old needed just 75 minutes to get past the American, who was seeded eighth in the Chinese event. The final score read, 6-1, 6-3.

Shnaider did well to score more points off first-serve and second-serve returns. The teen won 53% points on return in Liu’s first serve and 72% points on return on her opponent’s second serve. On her own first and second serves, Shnaider was just as good. She won 73% of her first-serve points and 55% of her second-serve points. 

This is the first tournament since Hamburg European Open in July that Shnaider’s won a main draw match. Since that tournament, Shnaider also didn’t qualify for the US Open main draw, losing in the second round of qualifying. Last week, she lost in the first round of the Japan Open to Yulia Putintseva. 

Apart from Liu, one other seed crashed out in the first round of the WTA 250 tournament. 

Clara Tauson ousted sixth seed Linda Fruhvirtova 6-2, 7-6(6) in an hour and 49 minutes in their first-round match. In the second set, the Dane thwarted the Czech’s attempt at making a comeback by fending off a few set points to notch her win in straight sets.

Top seed Magda Linette rebounded on an emphatic note to get herself a move on in the event. The Pole dropped the first set to Jodie Burrage but dropped just two games in the latter two sets to finish 6-7(3), 6-0, 6-2 after two hours and 20 minutes of play. 

Burrage’s fellow Briton, Harriet Dart, however, had better luck against Jule Niemeier in their first-round match-up. Dart took 77 minutes to complete a 6-3, 6-2 win over the German. 

Lastly, two seeds won their first-round matches at the Guangzhou Open. Fifth seed Rebeka Masarova won 7-5, 6-2 against Kateryna Baindl. Seventh seed Greet Minnen routed Diane Parry, 6-2, 6-2.