Watson wins, Scheepers out in Memphis

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MEMPHIS, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Fourth-seeded Heather Watson advanced but No. 6 Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa was eliminated Sunday in first-round play at the Memphis indoors event.

Briton Watson needed nearly 3 1/2 hours and three sets before prevailing over Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan, 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (7-4) at the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships.

South Africa's Scheepers fell to American Coco Vandeweghe 6-2, 6-1.

No. 7 seed Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia easily dispatched Stephanie Foretz Gacon of France, 6-3, 6-1 and Hungary's Melinda Czink got by Olga Puchkova of Russia 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Lauren Davis of the United States beat Ksenia Pervak of Kazakhstan 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 in another first-round match.