Wang Xiyu beats Pera to progress in Italian Open qualifying

Wang Xiyu of China edged Bernarda Pera of the USA 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the first round of women's singles qual in the Italian Open qualifying series in Rome, Italy, on Monday.

Wang and Pera each had a win in their previous two meetings and Wang suffered a comeback loss in the second round at the U.S. Open in 2023.

The 30-year-old Chinese played with more patience this time and claimed the first set with a solid defence. She conceded the second set, but made her opponent work hard after saving two set points.

Pera began the third set with a 2-0 advantage, but Wang fought back and clinched four consecutive games to seal the deal. She will face Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands next.

In another match on the day, China's Yuan Yue was eliminated by Antonia Ruzic of Croatia 6-3, 6-4. Yuan started both sets with big deficits. She pulled two games back when she was trailing 5-1 in the first, but lost it in the end. Ruzic began the second with a 4-1 lead, but Yuan managed to tie it 4-4 before allowing two straight games and losing the match.

Rozic will battle Jule Niemeier of Germany in her next match.