Top Seed Open: Sabalenka advances, Konta bows out

Lexington, Aug. 11 (IANS): World No .11 Aryna Sabalenka made a winning return at the WTA’s resumption in the United States as she battled past America’s Madison Brengle to enter the second round at the inaugural Top Seed Open.

The No.2 seeded player from Belarus defeated Brengle 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-2 after nearly two-and-a-half hours of play on Monday.

“(Brengle) played really well, she moved really well,” Sabalenka said during an on-court post-match interview as per the WTA website. “It was tough. I just tried to stay in the game, tried to think clean, and fight to the end, like I usually did.”

“I was really waiting for tennis to get back.

“I was just trying to stay in the tournament, stay in the rallies, stay in the game as long as I can, and I think I did everything I could. Of course I could play better, but I think for the first match, it’s okay,” she added.

Sabalenka, who won her sixth career WTA singles title in Doha earlier this season, will next face the winner of an all-American encounter between rising teenager Coco Gauff and qualifier Caroline Dolehide. Meanwhile, world No.15 Johanna Konta failed to enter the second round of the competition in US as she lost to unseeded Czech Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-4.