Gasanova shock for Riske­-Amritraj; Maria too strong for Ankita

The top-­seeded American’s serve fails to click as the World No. 147 registers her third win over a top-­25 player; the German drops just one game against the Indian

Top seed Alison Riske-Amritraj’s stay at the WTA Chennai Open was short-lived as she was ousted in the opening round by World No. 147 Anastasia Gasanova 6-2, 6-3 at the SDAT Tennis Stadium here on Tuesday.

For someone who came into the tournament in decent form, having reached the fourth round at the US Open, it was a dispiriting loss.

Gasanova, no stranger to victories over top players, having beaten the likes of Elina Svitolina and Karolina Pliskova in the past, didn’t need to play her best match. Her American opponent turned in a disastrous service performance, holding just twice all evening, winning only 48% of her first-serve points and 27% on the second.

“After the US Open I wanted to take a break,” said Gasanova, after what was her third win over a top-25 player. “I had waited so long for the tournament but I had a terrible loss [qualifying first round].

“But I thought ‘let me come to India and try’. I have the experience of beating top players. I reminded myself that I could do it. Had she played her best, she could have won. So, I had to be perfect.”

The start was anything but that. Both players were skittish and tight as they traded breaks in the fourth and fifth games. But Gasanova soon gained the upper hand, breaking in games six and eight to pocket the first set.

Riske-Amritraj, the World No.23 who prefers fast surfaces, appeared to struggle with the medium slow nature of the acrylic, overcooking her shots trying to play through the court. The safety option was to go cross-court just to keep the ball in play, which she did on occasions. But it wasn’t a winning tactic.