Former Top 10 players Daniela Hantuchova, Francesca Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta all played their first round matches on Wednesday, but only two of them survived - which one was ousted?
It was a unique match-up for the qualies - Karolina Pliskova, who just won her first WTA title in Kuala Lumpur, against Olga Puchkova, who just made her first WTA final since 2006 in Florianopolis.
Monica Niculescu survived triple match point in her first round match and another marathon in the final to capture her first WTA title at the inaugural WTA Brasil Tennis Cup in Florianopolis.
Olga Puchkova won an absolute nail-biter against No.1 seed Venus Williams in the semifinals of the WTA Brasil Tennis Cup on Friday night. Awaiting her in Saturday's final will be Monica Niculescu.
After years of struggles Olga Puchkova is hitting her stride on the WTA again, those big groundstrokes in full flight - and awaiting her in the WTA Brasil Tennis Cup semifinals is Venus Williams.
Venus Williams survived a big test against Garbiñe Muguruza in the second round of the WTA Brasil Tennis Cup on Wednesday night, rallying from 3-1 down in the third to beat the Spaniard.
She may have needed eight match points to do it, but Venus Williams beat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in her first round match at the WTA Brasil Tennis Cup. Olga Puchkova pulled off a big upset.
