Caroline Garcia produced a final-set fightback to beat Greet Minnen and join compatriot Alize Cornet in the second round of the inaugural Lyon Open on Monday.
Garcia has made a poor start to the season and was in danger of falling at the first hurdle in the city where she resides, but fought back to win 6-4 1-6 7-6 (7-5).
The third seed trailed Belgian outsider Minnen 4-2 in the deciding set before pulling herself off the ropes to book a meeting with Ysaline Bonaventure.
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Cornet's passage into the second round proved to be much more straightforward, defeating 162-ranked German Antonia Lottner 7-5 6-0. The fourth seed grasped six of eight break-point opportunities and served a dozen aces to sail through.
Alison Van Uytvanck, the fifth seed, needed just an hour to defeat Katarzyna Kawa 6-1 6-3, while Anna-Lena Friedsam and Irina Bara also advanced. Jaqueline Cristian could face Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin after losing just two games in a thrashing of Priscilla Hon.
- Stephens ends drought in Monterrey, Schmiedlova vanquishes winless Venus -
Sloane Stephens won her first match of 2020 after prevailing at the WTA Monterrey Open, while Venus Williams' woes continued. Stephens – the American fifth seed – ended her drought by outlasting Emma Navarro 6-4 5-7 6-1 in Monterrey on Monday.
Prior to this week, Stephens had featured in four tournaments without a win, including a first-round exit at the Australian Open. But the 2017 US Open champion finally opened her account for the year via the WTA International event after two hours, 17 minutes.
Former world number one Williams and her winless year continued, however, following a 4-6 6-3 6-2 defeat to qualifier Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. Seven-time grand slam winner Williams battled but the 39-year-old was eventually eliminated after two hours, 29 minutes on court.
Elsewhere, Wang Yafan, Rebecca Peterson, Olga Govortsova, Astra Sharma and Marie Bouzkova progressed to the second round.
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