Charleston, SC (SportsNetwork.com) – Seeded Brit Heather Watson exited the
draw
Monday at the ladies’ Family Circle Cup tennis event.
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; 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 Petkovic will encounter Scheepers.
