Qualifier Yuan impresses in Hobart, dispatches Stephens

Chinese qualifier Yue Yuan edged out American Sloane Stephens 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5) to reach the second round of the Hobart International at the Hobart ’s Domain Tennis Centre on Tuesday night.

The clash lasted almost three hours, with Yuan also winning a three set match over Diana Shnaider in qualifying to make the main draw in Hobart.

Yuan, ranked No 73, will play the winner of the match between Australian wildcard Olivia Gadecki and Chinese Xinyu Wang, the No 4 seed, next.

Hobart WTA 250, other first-round results (Hobart ’s Domain Tennis Centre, hard, USD 267.082, most recent results first):

• Clara Burel vs. Emma Navarro
• Olivia Gadecki vs. Xinyu Wang
• Magdalena Frech vs. Sara Sorribes Tormo
• Marie Bouzkova vs. Viktorija Golubic: tuesday
• Tatjana Maria (9) beat Nadia Podoroska (LL): 6-1, 4-3 ret.
• Yulia Putintseva (Q) beat Elisabetta Cocciaretto: 0-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4)
• Sofia Kenin (6) beat Greet Minnen: 6-3, 6-3
• Viktoriya Tomova (LL) beat Martina Trevisan: 6-3, 6-3
• Caroline Dolehide beat Mayar Sherif: 6-1, 6-4
• Lin Zhu (3) beat Lucia Bronzetti: 7-5, 6-1
• Daria Saville (WC) beat Anna Blinkova: 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
• Elise Mertens (1) beat Danielle Collins: 6-2, 6-3
• Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (Q) beat Camila Osorio (Q): 1-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5
• Varvara Gracheva (8) beat Peyton Stearns: 7-6 (3), 3-6, 7-5
• Arantxa Rus beat Linda Fruhvirtova (LL): 6-3, 5-7, 6-3