Kirsten Flipkins battles from behind to advance in Miami

22 March 2017 02:38

Belgium's Kirsten Flipkins was made to work hard to move into the second round of the Miami Open.

The world number 85 lost the opening set 6-3 to the United States' Jennifer Brady but rallied to advance with a 3-6 6-3 7-5 triumph.

Germany's Carina Witthoeft made swift progress with a 6-3 6-3 victory over American wildcard Nicole Gibbs.

Ying-Ying Duan of China secured a second-round match against world number one Angelique Kerber by defeating German Laura Siegemund 7-6 (8/6) 6-3.

Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil will play Venus Williams in round two after her opponent Lesia Tsurenko of the Ukraine, the world number 41, retired when 3-2 down in the first set.

Svetlana Kuznetsova, the world number seven, is set to meet Mandy Minella after the Luxembourg player came through in three sets against Czech Kristyna Pliskova 7-6 (7/4) 5-7 7-5.

Japan's Naomi Osaka secured a match with Simona Halep, the Romanian world number five, following her 6-2 6-3 win against Kristina Kucova of Slovakia.

Shuai Peng of China was awarded her first-round contest when Montenegro player Danka Kovinic retired at the start of the second set, having lost the opening set 6-2.

Italian Sara Errani beat Belinda Bencic of Swizterland 6-3 4-6 6-3 and will take on China's Shuai Zhang for a place in round three.

Johanna Larsson of Sweden booked a second-round contest against Czech Barbora Strycova after beating Romania's Monica Niculescu 6-3 6-1.

In other first-round matches there were wins for Spain's Lara Arruabarrena, Swiss player Viktorija Golubic and Kateryna Bondarenko of the Ukraine.

Source: PA