Raducanu, Swiatek off to winning starts at Stuttgart Open

The eighth-seeded Raducanu next faces Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch for the chance to play top-ranked Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals.

FILE PHOTO: Emma Raducanu.

US Open champion Emma Raducanu eased past Australian Storm Sanders 6-1, 6-2 on Wednesday in the first round of the Stuttgart Open.

The eighth-seeded Raducanu next faces Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch for the chance to play top-ranked Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals.

Earlier on Wednesday, Swiatek stretched her winning streak to 20 matches with a 6-1, 6-1 win over German debutante Eva Lys in the second round.

It was also Swiatek’s 26th set win in a row, the longest streak since Serena Williams won 28 in a row between the 2012 US Open and 2013 Australian Open.

 

Sixth-seeded Karolina Pliskova came from 4-1 down in the third set to edge Czech compatriot Petra Kvitova 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (5) in a first-round match between former Stuttgart champions.

Pliskova next faces Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova in the second round.

Also, fifth-seeded Anett Kontaveit rallied to beat Angelique Kerber 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 and Germany’s Laura Siegemund defeated Slovenian Tamara Zidansek 6-3, 6-3.

Mertens retires from match in Istanbul due to leg injury

Top-seeded Elise Mertens retired from her opening match at the clay-court Istanbul Championship because of a leg injury.

The 26-year-old Belgian was losing 7-5, 4-1 to Sweden's Rebecca Peterson when she retired with pain in her right leg. Mertens was runner-up to Sorana Cirstea last year.

Croatian player Petra Martic upset fourth-seeded Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5).

Later, Cirstea came back from a set down to beat Dutch player Arantxa Rus 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 in the second round. The 32-year-old Romanian last year ended a 13-year wait for her second career singles title when she upset Mertens in the final.