By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday August 3, 2020
Sara Errani gutted out a three-hour win in Palermo on a day that was triumphant both for the tour and herself.
Photo Source: Getty
Tennis is back!
The Ladies Open Palermo kicked off the WTA Tour restart on Monday with eight main draw singles matches that included a few marathons and, of course, an upset or two.
Crowds were sparse, with plenty of masks worn. Post-match interviews were held at a social distance with the players standing behind a microphone and an unseen interviewer asking questions in the background. Post-match press conferences were also held virtually.
But the tennis was physical and, even if it wasn’t perfect it had that gritty feel of a clay court tournament and the intensity of meaningful competition.
It was a late night in Sicily, with play ending around 2 AM after Jasmine Paolini and Daria Kasatkina played well over three hours in a three-set thriller that saw the Italian take out the Russian 5-7 6-4 6-4.
Eight matches were played on Monday, including three seeded players – Maria Sakkari, Donna Vekic, Dayana Yastremska and Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Sixth-seeded Vekic won impressively, 6-1 6-2 over Arantxa Rus, while third-seeded Sakkari was taken out by Kristyna Pliskova in the day’s biggest upset.
Seventh-seeded Yastremska prevailed in straight sets, 6-3 6-4 over Sara Sorribes Tormo, while eighth-seeded Alexandrova toppled Kristina Mladenovic 5-7 6-0 6-1 in a match that featured 20 double-faults from the Frenchwoman.
The quote of the day belongs to Vekic, who summed up the first match back on tour after five months of coronavirus with a smile.
I’m just definitely happy that I didn’t forget how to play tennis, how to play matches, how to win. It’s a huge relief,” she said.