In her first-ever main-draw match at a WTA 1000 event, Clara Tauson earned an upset victory. The Danish teenager kicked off Day 1 of the Qatar TotalEnergies Open on Sunday with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win over reigning Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic in just short of two hours. 

The victory levels Tauson's career record against Top 30 players to 4-4 and earns her a second meeting with a Top 10 player this season. She'll face No.3 seed Paula Badosa in the second round.

Read more: Doha 2022: Draws, prize money and everything you need to know

Words from the winner: "It was a very tough match. I know Belinda is playing very well so I had to play my best today, and I did sometimes," Tauson said on-court after the match. "I have my confidence but every match is really tough at this level, so I'm doing my best."

Streaks and swings: Tauson rallied from 4-2 down in the first set by winning four straight games, and the last 10 points. Though she led by a set and a break at 6-4, 1-0, Tauson ultimately needed to win the match in a third set after she lost four consecutive games from that point.

More highlights from Sunday: Van Uytvanck d. Zvonareva | Konjuh d. Kostyuk

The World No.33 lost just four points on her serve in the final set, in which she landed a stunning 88% of her first serves. The decisive break against Bencic's serve came in the fourth game, and Tauson won 12 of the 13 points played in her last three service games to seal the upset.

Danes in Doha: Tauson is just the second Danish player to play in Qatar, joining former World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki. Wozniacki played the Qatar Total Open nine times, reaching the final in 2011 and 2017. She also qualified for the WTA Finals when it was held in Doha in 2009 and 2010.

Tauson and Badosa will play for a second time in the span of less than a year, having first played in the semifinals in Lyon last March. Ranked World No.139 that week, Tauson qualified and stormed her way to her first career WTA singles title. 

Americans Pegula, Li advance into second round

No.9 seed Jessica Pegula of the United States also booked a spot in the second round, easing past Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and 8 minutes.

14th-ranked Pegula converted four of her nine break points and won 70 percent of second-service return points against Siniakova, the current WTA Doubles World No.1.

Pegula, who reached the Doha semifinals last year as a qualifier, will face Slovenian qualifier Kaja Juvan in the next round. Juvan defeated another qualifier, Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland, 6-4, 6-2.

Ann Li claimed a second-round spot as well, after she knocked out 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3 in an all-American affair.

Highlights: Li def. Kenin

Li served for the match at 6-3, 5-4 but was unable to close, and Kenin stole the second set in the tiebreak. However, Li recovered in the decider, at one juncture winning 10 straight points as she collected a 5-2 lead. Li held on from there to win in an hour and 54 minutes.

Li's reward is her first meeting with No.6 seed Maria Sakkari of Greece. Li is 0-3 lifetime against Top 10 players so far.