Iga Swiatek, Carolina Garcia, Ons Jabeur, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina all progress to China Open second round

ByJames Hilsum

Updated 02/10/2023 at 13:01 GMT

Five of the world's top ten players are safely through to round two of the China Open after Iga Swiatek beat Sara Sorribes Tormo, while Caroline Garcia powered her way past Kateryna Baindl. US Open winner Coco Gauff beat the Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova, while Ons Jabeur beat the American Ashlyn Krueger, and Elena Rybakina cruised past Chinese player Qinwen Zheng.

Iga Swiatek overcame Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-4 6-3 in the China Open first round, going some way to bounce back from an early exit in Tokyo last week.

The Pole recovered from a 6-2 2-6 6-4 defeat to eventual Japan Open champion Veronika Kudermetova with a straight sets win over the Spaniard.

It may have been a comprehensive win in the end but Swiatek was kept on her toes throughout.

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Sorribes Tormo staved off two break points in the third game but soon cracked on serve, only to hit back immediately to draw level at 3-3 in the first set.

Breaks of serve began to become a theme of this contest as Swiatek opened up a 4-3 lead, with the world No. 2 soon wrapping up the set.

Both players were allergic to their own serves in the second set, with the Spaniard unable to claim a single hold.

In fact, only one game via the way of serve, which crucially went to Swiatek, and was ultimately crucial in securing her a place in the next round.

She will now go onto face the Frenchwoman Varvara Gracheva in a second round tie on Tuesday.

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Elsewhere, Caroline Garcia powered past Kateryna Baindl with a 6-2 6-4 victory.

Garcia broke through the Ukrainian's serve in the second game and from that moment on, it was pretty straightforward for the Frenchwoman as she raced to the opening set.

The first six games of the second all went by the way of serve. Garcia was broken in the seventh game, but hit back immediately and soon cracked her opponent again to book a a second-round tie against Yulia Putintseva on Tuesday.

Ons Jabeur is also safely through after beating Ashlyn Krueger in straight sets, winning 6-3 6-4.

The world No. 7 showed her class in the end, but was made to work hard by the American with some mammoth games on both sets.

Krueger showed her composure against the Tunisian to swat away three break point opportunities in the opening five games, claiming an important hold at 3-2 after going to deuce four times.

Jabeur was final able to break through her serve to go 4-3 up, and did so again to move 1-0 ahead after her first set point in the ninth game.

The 19-year-old broke back immediately in the first game, but surrendered on her own serve as Jabeur levelled at 2-2.

This year's Wimbledon runner-up would expose the vulnerability of Krueger's service game again to move 4-2 up, and did so again in the tenth game to progress and set up a second-round clash with Marta Kostyuk.

US Open champion Coco Gauff booked her place in round two with a 7-5 6-3 win over Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Gauff broke the Russian on her first service game, and did so again for a double break to move 4-0 ahead.

However, the 28-year-old did the same against the world No. 3 to reduce Gauff's lead at 4-3.

Although, Gauff managed to regain her composure and saw out the first set after winning the 12th game on her second set point.

The second set was much more straightforward for the 19-year-old, and she was able to break through Alexandrova's serve once more to go 4-2 up and ultimately wrap up the second set at 6-3.

Gauff will face the Croatian Petra Martic in the next round.

Elena Rybakina

Image credit: Getty Images

Meanwhile, Elena Rybakina made light work of Qinwen Zheng after taking just over an hour to dispatch Qinwen Zheng 6-1 6-2.

The world No. 5 broke the 20-year-old twice in the opening set, before go 1-0 in front after winning the seventh game on her second set point.

Zheng's weaknesses on her own serve were clear to see, after the Chinese was broken twice more at 2-1 and 4-1 down, before Rybakina concluded the match with a comprehensive hold to love in eighth game.

She will face the German Tatjana Maria in round two

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