By Adrianna Outlaw | Tuesday, June 7, 2016
No. 3-seeded Caroline Wozniacki topped Cagla Buyukakcay, 7-5, 6-3, in Nottingham for her first win since March.
Photo credit: British Tennis/Aegon Nottingham Open
Sunshine returned to Nottingham and for Caroline Wozniacki it was worth the wait.
The third-seeded Wozniacki topped Cagla Buyukakcay, 7-5, 6-3, in her Aegon Open Nottingham opener for her first win since March.
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“It's nice to be back on court,” Wozniacki said. “There are always things I want to do better, but all in all for my first match back in so many weeks it's just great to be back. I am pleased with the result and pleased with the way I fought. I think in general I moved pretty well. I hit my targets and I got a lot of returns back.”
The 26-year-old Buyukakcay made history as the first Turk to win a WTA title when she captured Istanbul earlier this season.
Wozniacki served out the opening set at love then surged to a 5-1 second-set lead before closing out the victory.
It was Wozniacki's first win since she defeated 183rd-ranked Vania King in her Miami opener in March.
The third-seeded Dane will face 97th-ranked Estonian Anett Kontaveit for a place in the Nottingham quarterfinals.
Wozniacki has been busy in her return from an ankle injury that sidelined her for the entire clay-court season. She played virtual tennis, shot pool and even channeled her inner Robin Hood before her comeback match.
No. 4-seeded Monica Puig needed just 48 minutes to crush Chinese qualifier Kai-Lin Zhang. Puig won 15 of 16 points played on Zhang's second serve.
A pair of seeds and a home favorite all failed to survive the first hurdle.
Andrea Hlavackova defeated fifth-seeded Yanina Wickmayer, 7-5, 7-6 (7). American Alison Riske dismissed seventh-seeded Mona Barthel, 6-2, 6-1 in 48 minutes.
Qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito saved six of 10 break points beating British wild card Laura Robson, 6-3, 7-5.
The 249th-ranked Larcher de Brito, who owns a Wimbledon win over former No. 1 Maria Sharapova, earned her first WTA main-draw tournament win since her run to the Birmingham round of 16 last June.
Larcher de Brito will play the fourth-seeded Puig next.
British qualifier Tara Moore earned her first WTA main-draw win in four years to join British No. 1 Johanna Konta in the second round.
For the 23-year-old Moore, her 6-2, 7-5 victory over Donna Vekic was her fourth win in four days at the Nottingham Tennis Centre and second win over the Croat in a week. Moore defeated Vekic en route to the final of the Aegon Eastbourne Trophy.
“I played some good tennis out there, Donna is a tough opponent,” Moore said. “I played her last week and I’m just really happy to get the win.”
Moore will now face America’s Christina McHale in the second round after the eighth seed beat Poland’s Magda Linette in straight sets on Monday.