Charleston, SC (SportsNetwork.com) – Zarina Diyas and Heather Watson exited
the draw Monday at the ladies’ Family Circle Cup tennis event.
Czech Lucie Hradecka came back from a set down to beat the 11th-seeded Diyas
4-6, 6-1, 6-3, while Croat Donna Vekic outlasted the 16th-seeded Watson 6-3,
4-6, 7-5 on the clay courts at Family Circle Tennis Center.
A pair of seeds avoided upsets, as No. 13 Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu topped
German qualifier Laura Siegemund 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) and No. 15 German Mona Barthel
handled Hungarian Timea Babos 6-3, 6-3.
In opening-round action involving American players, Shelby Rogers spanked
Spaniard Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-3, 6-1; wild card Sachia Vickery overcame
qualifier compatriot Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4); Lauren Davis came
back to best fellow countrywoman Grace Min 6-7 (1-7), 7-6 (7-2), 6-3; Kateryna
Bondarenko of Ukraine outlasted Alison Riske 6-4, 4-6, 6-1; Danka Kovinic of
Montenegro cruised past Christina McHale 6-2, 6-3; China’s Zhang Shuai
dismissed Nicole Gibbs 6-4, 7-5; and German Tatjana Maria mauled Irina Falconi
6-1, 6-3.
Several other women moved on, including South African Chanelle Scheepers and
Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova.
The top seeds this week are Wimbledon runner-up Genie Bouchard, Russian left-
handier Ekaterina Makarova and reigning Charleston champ Andrea Petkovic, who
topped Slovak Jana Cepelova in last year’s finale. Bouchard will open up
against Davis, while Makarova will encounter Zhang and Petkovic will face
Scheepers.
