WTA Cincinnati: Avanesyan beats Ostapenko
Elina Avanesyan's 6-4, 7-5 defeat of Bianca Andreescu in the first round of the Cincinnati Open wasn't just a continuation of the 21-year-old's own stellar season. It was a history-making moment for Armenia as Avanesyan became the first player representing the country to compete in a Hologic WTA Tour main draw.
Avanesyan continued her success in Cincinnati on Thursday by defeating No.8 seed Jelena Ostapenko 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the second round. The win is her fourth Top 20 win of the season and first since knocking out Zheng Qinwen at Roland Garros, WTA Tour reported.
Avanesyan will face Liudmila Samsonova in the round of 16 on Friday.
Last week, the World No.60 started competing under the Armenian flag, announcing on social media: "I am proud to share that I am officially a citizen of Armenia, and I am honored to be competing under my Armenian flag starting at the Cincinnati Open on Monday! Excited for this new chapter and to bring success to my ancestral homeland."