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Lepchenko wins three-setter in Brussels Open

Varvara Lepchenko, shown at last year's U.S. Open, was among first-round winners Monday at the Brussels Open. UPI/John Angelillo
Varvara Lepchenko, shown at last year's U.S. Open, was among first-round winners Monday at the Brussels Open. UPI/John Angelillo | License Photo

BRUSSELS, May 20 (UPI) -- Varvara Lepchenko survived a lengthy, three-set challenge in Monday's first-round action at the Brussels Open tennis tournament.

Lepchenko, the No. 7 seed, outlasted Bojana Jovanovski 6-2, 6-7 (8-10), 6-4 in a 2-hour, 37-minute battle. Lepchenko had a solid service game but still needed two third-set breaks to advance.

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All the matches Monday were long. Even the matches decided in two sets too more than 1 hour, 45 minutes.

As a result the final match of the day sending sixth-seeded Sloane Stephens against Tsvetana Pironkova was suspended because of darkness with Stephens to serve and the match tied 6-3, 2-6, 2-2. They had played more than 2 hours before play was halted.

Jana Cepelova got past Lesia Tsurenko 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 behind three third-set breaks in her first-round match. Also Olga Govortsova stopped Arantxa Rus 6-2, 7-5 with seven breaks and Elena Baltacha edged Stefanie Voegele 7-6 (9-7), 7-5.

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