Lisicki survives first-round WTA challenge in Thailand

PATTAYA, Thailand, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Top-seeded Sabine Lisicki needed a third set Monday to gain a spot in the second round of the WTA's PTT Pattaya Open in Thailand.

Lisicki defeated Donna Vekic 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in a match in which both players lost their serve six times. The difference in the match came in the third set when Lisicki wound up with three breaks. She also had three breaks in the first set but failed to convert on the only break chance she had in the second set.

Both players barely won half the points on serve, with Lisicki winning 53 percent and Vekic 52.

No. 2-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova was a 6-0, 7-6 (7-3) winner over Zhang Shuai after dominating the first set. Kuznetsova won two-thirds of the points in the opening set and had one break in the second to get to the tiebreaker.

No. 8-seeded Peng Shuai came away a 6-1, 7-6 (7-1) winner over Patricia Mayr-Achleitner but Karolina Pliskova ousted seventh-seeded Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-2, 6-4 by saving seven of the eight break points she faced.

Alison Riske took two-thirds of the points and saved nine break points in a 6-0, 6-0 whitewash of Anabel Medina Garrigues and Andrea Hlavackova defeated Estrella Cabeza Candela 6-2, 6-4.