WTA Day 1: Stosur Rallies Against Davis, Anisimova Gets First Pro Win

Former US Open champion Sam Stosur overcame a slow start on Wednesday at the BNP Paribas Open, winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 against home hope Lauren Davis.

Stosur moves into the second round in Indian Wells to meet No. 14 seed Kristina Mladenovic.

It was a busy Day 1 on the grounds, as WTA first-round action got underway and the ATP World Tour finished out its qualifying action.

Sixteen-year-old American Amanda Anisimova, beating world No. 94 Pauline Parmentier in straight sets. Anisimova wasted no time in earning her way to a second round meeting with No. 23 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, winning 6-2, 6-2 over the Frenchwoman inside Stadium 2.

Anisimova, who earned a wild card into the main draw via the inaugural Oracle Challenger Series over the past few weeks, is the reigning US Open junior champion.

“I’m really proud of myself,” Anisimova said on Tennis Channel. “The biggest thing (in the pros) is about being tougher mentally. … I try to take things one point at a time.”

In a two-hour, 23-minute clash, former top 10 resident Belinda Bencic of Switzerland overcame Timea Babos 1-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) in Stadium 2, saving a match point. Bencic sets up a must-see second round clash with French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.

Yulia Putintseva beat Alison Van Uytvanck 6-0, 2-6, 6-2 on Stadium 6. Other winners on Wednesday included Maria Sakkari, Irina-Camelia Begu and Wang Qiang, who beat Timea Babos, the former top 10 resident who is coming back from wrist surgery.

Wild card Genie Bouchard had a bad day at the office, going down to qualifier Sachia Vickery 6-3, 6-4. Vickery, an American, gets a date with No. 3 seed Garbiñe Muguruza in the second round.

Maria Sharapova is set to play in the last match of the day on Stadium 1, the two time champion ranked No. 41 in the world and taking on Japan’s Naomi Osaka.

In an all-American match-up on Stadium 1 to start the day, Caroline Dolehide, 19, came from behind to beat Shelby Rogers, 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-3 in two hours, 34 minutes. She’ll play No. 30 seed Dominika Cibulkova next.

Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka take to the court Thursday night for their respective first-round matches, as well.