MUMBAI, India -- It was a mixed bag for top seeds on the first day of main draw play at the L&T Mumbai Open on Tuesday, as No.2 seed Dalila Jakupovic eased into the second round, while No.3 seed Sachia Vickery succumbed to injury at the first hurdle of the WTA 125K Series event.
Jakupovic, the World No.73 from Slovenia, needed just 76 minutes to defeat Veronika Kudermetova of Russia, 6-4, 6-1. Meanwhile, American Vickery, ranked World No.96, retired to Deniz Khazaniuk of Israel while trailing 2-6, 7-5, 5-1.
27-year-old Jakupovic needed to survive a competitive first set, as Kudermetova pressed the second seed with frequent forays to the net which occasionally paid dividends for the Russian. Jakupovic had to deploy the lob on multiple instances to stay with Kudermetova up to 4-4, with only one break of service having taken place up to that point.
However, Jakupovic attained the crucial break in the following game. A double fault by Kudermetova gave the Slovene double break point, and a long backhand miscue by the Russian on the second opportunity handed over the break. Jakupovic converted her first set point in the next game to take the one-set lead.
The scoreline in the second set was much more definitive for Jakupovic, as she broke Kudermetova in the opening game and moved forward from there. Serving at 4-1, Jakupovic survived four break points with big serves and strong forehands and held for 5-1. The No.2 seed then closed out the clash in the next game with a fifth service break on her 16th break point of the match.
Earlier on Center Court, Vickery became increasingly hampered by injury as her match wore on. The American won 80 percent of Khazaniuk's second service points en route to claiming the first set, but she could not close out the match in two sets. The Israeli player drastically increased her efficiency on serve in the second set, and broke Vickery at 5-5, eventually leveling the match at one set all.
Vickery was audibly frustrated in the third set, and after an exchange of breaks to open the decider, Khazaniuk broke for 2-1 on her fourth break point of the game after Vickery netted a backhand. Khazaniuk saved a break point with a sturdy forehand in the following game, then broke Vickery at love for 4-1. By the next game, the American was too overcome with her injury to go any further.
Elsewhere, 2013 Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki of Germany lost to No.8 seed Nao Hibino of Japan, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, in just over two hours. Both players saved at least 70 percent of the 24 total break points in the match. Hibino, though, won more points on her first delivery than the big-serving former World No.12 did, claiming 70 percent of those points, compared to Lisicki's 60 percent.
In other first-round results, Uzbekistan's Sabina Sharipova defeated Misaki Doi of Japan, 6-1, 7-6(4), Irina Khromacheva of Russia ousted Japanese qualifier Hiroko Kuwata, 6-1, 6-4, and Dutchwoman Bibiane Schoofs beat Jana Fett of Croatia, 6-3, 6-2. Also, Barbora Stefkova won an all-Czech derby over qualifier Tereza Martincova, 6-4, 6-4.
