Britain’s Heather Watson scored an early upset at the WTA event in Hua Hin as she knocked second seed Yulia Putintseva out of the Thai event 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (5) in the opening round.
No. 160 Watson fought for three hours to overcome the 44th-ranked Kazakh who stood second at the beachside venue behind Bianca Andreescu.
“I’m really happy with the result. When I looked at the draw, I thought oh, that’s a really tough one,” Watson said.
“I’ve played her a few times so I know what a fighter she is; she doesn’t quit and in fact produces her best tennis when she’s down and out.”
The Brit added: “I’m really happy with how I fought through that. When you win close matches it gives you a lot more confidence and prepares you a lot more than a straightforward win.”
Former US Open champion Andreescu got off in her first visit to the Land of Smiles as she put out Briton Harriet Dart 6-3, 6-4.
“I played really well. I felt like I lost my concentration just a little bit, waiting around all day isn’t fun,” the Canadian said.
“I was a bit tired but I’m super glad that I bounced back and was able to finish off the match.”
There was a 6-3, 6-1 win for 17-year-old Czech Linda Fruhvirtova over American veteran wild card Bethanie Mattek-Sands, 37,
“I feel pretty good. I mean, the first round is always tricky and Bethanie is a tricky opponent so I’m happy I handled it and I’m excited for the next match,” the winner said..
2019 Thailand Open champion Dayana Yastremska was tested by Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima but prevailed 63 67(3) 62 whilst Germany’s Tatjana Maria showed her experience over 17 year-old qualifier Alexandra Eala, winning in straight sets 62 62.
