Shelby Rogers was the first WTA winner on Stadium 1 at the 2023 BNP Paribas Open, outlasting Katie Volynets 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 in Indian Wells on Wednesday.
It took two hours and 20 minutes for world No.41 Rogers to halt rising 21-year-old Volynets, who reached her first WTA semifinal last weekend in Austin and is ranked at a career-high No.74.
The first WTA main-draw victory of Volynets' career came at 2020 Acapulco, but Rogers avenged that defeat on Wednesday and currently leads their head-to-head series 2-1.
In the final game of the first set, Rogers broke Volynets to love after coming back from a 3-1 deficit to take the lead in the match. However, in the second set, Volynets broke Rogers with a strong forehand return for a 3-2 lead. From that point on, Volynets held on to tie the match at one set each.
However, Rogers persevered into the last stretch of the third set to secure the victory despite an early exchange of breaks. In the end, Rogers had 30 wins to Volynets' 12, and she only committed two more unforced errors than her younger countrywoman.
With the win, Rogers lines up a second-round clash against No.7 seed Maria Sakkari of Greece, who made the Indian Wells final last season. Rogers has a commanding 3-0 lead in their rivalry, including two victories last year.
"Two Americans, she definitely has a very bright future, and unfortunately only one of us could win today," Rogers was quoted as saying by WTA.com.
"She's one of the nicest girls I've met on tour, and I look forward to seeing her more. I think in the third set, I served a little bit better, just tried to work the point a little bit more, not end it too soon, and stay in there as long as I could," Rogers said.
Meanwhile, Wednesday went perfectly for Czech teenagers Linda Fruhvirtova and Linda Noskova, with both picking up first-round wins.
The 17-year-old Fruhvirtova beat Egypt's Mayar Sherif 0-6, 6-2, 6-3. At 3-2 in the third set, Fruhvirtova was also down a break, but she quickly rallied back, winning the next four games to reach the second round at Indian Wells for the first time.
Fruhvirtova will play Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina, the No. 27 seed, for the first time in the second round.
Meanwhile, 18-year-old Noskova, ranked one spot below her compatriot Fruhvirtova in the WTA singles rankings at World No.54, garnered a 7-6(7), 6-1 victory over Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania.
( With inputs from ANI )
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