The key facts

  • Alexandrova beat Ann Li 6:4, 6:4 and will face Rakhimova next
  • 37 winners against her opponent's 18
  • Andreeva remained third in the WTA rankings with 6,306 points

First-round victory

Ekaterina Alexandrova opened her campaign with a win at the WTA 500 tournament in Tokyo — the Toray Pan Pacific Open, held on outdoor hard courts as part of the Asian swing. In the first round, the Russian defeated American Ann Li 6:4, 6:4; the match lasted 1 hour 22 minutes, reports Life.ru.

Match statistics

Alexandrova clearly outperformed her opponent in winners — 37 to 18. At the same time, she committed 34 unforced errors compared to Li's 15. Both players served seven aces, but the American was more reliable on serve in terms of errors: one double fault against seven for the Russian.

Next opponent and ranking context

In the second round, Alexandrova will face Kamilla Rakhimova, who advanced without playing a match — thanks to her seeding, which exempts her from the first round. Separately, the outlet recalls the situation in the WTA world rankings: 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who did not compete last week, held on to third place with 6,306 points. Above her are Elena Rybakina (9,501 points) and Aryna Sabalenka (7,550 points).

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