HOBART, Australia — Teenager Dayana Yastremska has picked up in 2019 where she left off in 2018, beating Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-1 in the opening round of the Hobart International.
Yastremska had a break-out year in 2018, forcing her way inside the top-100 for the first time. She showed why Monday with a dominant performance in windy conditions against Siegemund, who has been as high as No. 27 in the world.
In other results, fifth-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was the first seeded player to go out of the tournament, losing 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to Vera Lapko.
The 18-year-old Yastremska was able to win 71 per cent of points off her first serve, keeping Siegemund under pressure while converting five break points to one.
"I was a bit nervous but I think I kept my nerves under control," Yastremska said. "That’s what got me the win. I stayed stable with my emotions and in these conditions it was very important."
Yastremska said she hopes to continue her progress in 2019.
"Right now I don’t really feel any pressure," she said. "I’m just trying to improve my level and to perfect myself."
No. 54-ranked Pauline Parmentier advanced to the second round with a 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 win over wildcard entry Ellen Perez, her first first-round win in Hobart in six attempts.
"I was playing really good at the beginning, then I got a little bit tight," Parmentier said. "She was playing better and better and the condions were more windy at the end.
"When I was feeling not really good at the end of the second set, I was like ‘It’s always really tough for me here. Every time they are not nice with me in Hobart."
Anna Karolina Schmiedlova also advanced with a 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-3 win over Evgeniya Rodina, and Greet Minnen posted her first win in the main draw of a WTA Tour event with a 6-4, 6-0 result against Kateryna Kozlova.
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