Rebeka Masarova pulls off first-round upset in Austin

Swiss qualifier Rebeka Masarova overpowered third-seeded Xinyu Wang of China 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of the ATX Open on Monday in Austin, Texas.

Masarova won 85.7% of her first-serve points (30 of 35) and saved four of the five break points she faced. She avenged a loss to Wang three weeks ago in the second round at Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

The only other seeded player in action on Monday, No. 7 Anna Bondar of Hungary, lost to Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 7-5.

In a matchup of US qualifiers, Whitney Osuigwe rallied past Elizabeth Mandlik 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Taylor Townsend of the United States edged the Czech Republic’s Linda Fruhvirtova 4-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5, but two other US players lost.

Czech qualifier Nikola Bartunkova beat Katie Volynets 6-4, 7-5, and Russia’s Oksana Selekhmeteva defeated Alycia Parks 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Merida Open Akron Marina Stakusic, a 21-year-old Canadian ranked 142nd in the world, upset fifth-seeded Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine 6-4, 6-3 in the first round at Merida, Mexico.

The result was the first tour-level win for Stakusic this year.

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She fell in the first round at Canberra, Australian, then qualified for the Australian Open before losing in the first round at Melbourne.

Stakusic was aided on Monday by Yastremska’s six double faults.

Great Britain’s Katie Boulter and Colombia’s Emiliana Arango earned straight- set wins, while Andorra’s Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva eked out a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 victory over Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva.