WASHINGTON (AP) — Defending champion Liudmila Samsonova stretched her winning streak in Washington to six matches by beating 2022 Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins 6-1, 6-3 in the first round of the DC Open on Monday.
The eighth-seeded Samsonova saved both break points she faced while winning four of Collins’ service games. Collins hurt herself by double-faulting eight times.
Samsonova is a 24-year-old from Russia who is currently ranked 18th. Her trophy on the hard courts of the U.S. Open tune-up tournament a year ago was one of four singles titles she’s won.
In other women’s matches on Day 1 at the first combined ATP-WTA 500 event, sixth-seeded Belinda Bencic advanced when Anastasia Potapova retired from their match in the first set with an injured left ankle, and Marta Kostyuk eliminated 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5).
In men’s action, Aslan Karatsev beat Kiranpal Pannu 7-6 (3), 6-1, Alexander Shevchenko defeated Maxime Cressy 6-3, 7-6 (8), Michael Mmoh beat Bradley Klahn 6-3, 6-3, and Yosuke Watanuki moved into the second round when Wu Yibing stopped playing because of illness.
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