TOKYO: Russian players Ekaterina Alexandrova and Veronika Kudermetova are through to the second round of the Pan Pacific Tennis in Tokyo after beating their opponents on Tuesday.

Russian eighth-seeded Alexandrova beat Anna Kalinskaya 6-7, 6-1, 7-5 and seventh seed Veronika Kudermetova beat Britain’s Harriet Dart 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 2021 French Open runner-up, beat Croatia’s Donna Vekic 6-1, 6-1.

The Japanese tournament also features French Open winner Iga Swiatek and world number four Jessica

Pegula who will start playing from Wednesday.

Australian Open finalist Elena Rybakina has however withdrawn, organisers said Monday. The $780,637 tournament will conclude on Sunday.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023