Cornet, Gibbs move through in Limoges

LIMOGES, France – No.5 seed Alizé Cornet made short work of WTA World No.119 Stefanie Voegele as she progress in the Open BLS De Limoges, 6-2, 6-1.

The Frenchwoman required just 72 minutes to book her place in the second round as she came out on top in a series of tight games.

Voegele even had a break point to draw first blood in the third came of the match but instead lost her serve to fall 4-1 down in the following game.

The Swiss then had three opportunities to win the break back in the seventh game but saw Cornet, the WTA World No.59, fend each off before landing a second break of her own.

The second set was more straightforward for the home player. If the opening two games were shared, Cornet raced through the final five, winning them all to seal the match.

Nicole Gibbs, meanwhile, caused the greatest upset on Monday as the American qualifier came from a set down to defeat 21-year-old No.7 seed Tamara Zidansek, 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3.

The WTA World No.142 needed three sets to defeat Marina Melnikova in her qualifying match on Sunday and took a similarly circuitous route to the second round of the main draw.

She showed tenacity on her own serve in the opening set, fighting back from 0-40 down in the second game to draw level, but this spirit was not enough to prevent her Slovakian opponent from taking the upper hand.

Breaks arrived in the sixth and 10th game for the higher-seeded player, who dropped her own serve in between time and came close to falling 5-4 down as Gibbs squandered three break points from a 0-40 advantage of her own.

The 26-year-old was the frontrunner in the second set, but on the two occasions she broke to move ahead she immediately submitted the advantage.

The tiebreak saw a nine of 12 points go to the returner, with the decisive game going in favor of Gibbs, who at 5-5 was within two points of elimination.

She seemed to be on her way out once again in the third set, in which she trailed 3-1. However, she stepped on the accelerator to win five straight games, serving out the match to love.

Sorana Cirstea also won through in three sets, beating Tatjana Maria, 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-2, while Jil Teichmann enjoyed a smoother passage into the second round by defeating Tamara Korpatsch 7-6(4), 6-3.