QUEBEC, Canada - Defending champion and No. 2 seed Oceane Dodin got her title defense at the Coupe Banque Nationale présentée par IGA going in epic fashion on Monday, coming from a set and a break down to see off Canadian qualifier Gabriela Dabrowski, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4.
Dodin trailed 7-5, 4-2 in the match, and saw Dabrowski serve for the match at 5-3 in the second set, only to win the last four games to force a decider.
Once there, the World No. 48 led by a break for much of the late stages of the set, but after dropping serve for 4-4, sealed the win with a love break and a final hold of serve.
Ce soir, Océane Dodin revient sur le terrain qui l’a vue remporter sa première couronne de la WTA, en 2016: https://t.co/es8FwaTdPr #CoupeBN pic.twitter.com/FPMYix0oh4
— CoupeBanqueNationale (@CoupeBN) September 11, 2017
Another winner on the first day of play in Quebec was No.3 seed Timea Babos, who withstood 13 aces from American Jamie Loeb to win in three sets, 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-2, serving 10 aces of her own and 72 percent of first serves.
The World No. 63 next faces another big server in Great Britain's Naomi Broady, who also hit 13 aces in dispatching Australian teenager Destanee Aiava in three sets, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
Deciding sets were the story of the day on the first day of main draw play in Canada, as American Grace Min rallied from a set down to defeat compatriot Jessica Pegula, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, and move through to the second round.
Advancing in straight sets to the second round were American qualifier Caroline Dolehide, who dropped just five games against fellow teenager, Canada's Charlotte Robillard-Millette, 6-3, 6-2, and Marina Erakovic, who downed qualifier Alla Kudryavtseva, 6-4, 6-1.
Tuesday's order of play in Quebec sees top seed Lucie Safarova begin her campaign against Anna Tatishvili, while No.6 seed Jennifer Brady, fresh off a fourth-round showing at the US Open, takes on rising Canadian Bianca Andreescu.