LIMOGES, France – Pauline Parmentier knocked out No.2 seed Caroline Garcia, 6-2, 6-2, in the first round of the Open BLS de Limoges.
In an all-French affair, the WTA World No.124 knocked out the No.2 player in the country, claiming the final place in the second round in an 87-minute encounter.
Parmentier’s cause was aided by establishing a 4-0 lead early in the match, twice breaking the Garcia serve following lengthy games that went to deuce.
Although the WTA World No.46 won two similar arm wrestles in her subsequent service games of the set, she was powerless in hitting back, winning only five points on her opponents’ delivery as the set slipped away.
Garcia was sluggish out of the blocks in the second, too. Once more she found herself broken in her first two games, and though she was able to win one of these back, a dominant Parmentier picked up three successive games to close out the match.
No.1 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, meanwhile, was given a stern examination by the awkward Monica Niculescu before winning through. 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in an encounter that last just short of two hours.
The WTA World No.42 edged the opener by breaking twice in the final three games, but was outplayed in the second.
The Russian fended off nine break points successfully in the decider, including six in the opening game, and took one of the two she crafted to claim the win.
Previously, Ana Bogdan had defeated Arantxa Rus, 7-5, 6-2, while Greetje Minnen had too much for wildcard Clara Burel in a 6-3, 6-2 success.
