Tomljanovic charges to WTA win

Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic took time to warm up before rattling off 12 straight games and cruise into the second round of the WTA’s Stanford Classic in California.

Tomljanovic conceded the opening set to Vitalia Diatchenko but then dominated the Russian in a 3-6 6-0 6-0 victory on Tuesday at the hardcourt tournament.

The Croatian-born Tomljanovic will next face American seventh-seed Madison Keys, who was way too good for Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic 6-3 6-0.

Eighth-seed Elina Svitolina, who reached the quarter-finals of the French Open, needed three sets to beat qualifier Kateryna Bondarenko.

Svitolina had lost four of her last five matches before knocking off her fellow Ukrainian.

Svitolina plays Nicole Gibbs, a Stanford graduate, in the second round.

In other matches, American Varvara Lepchenko defeated Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-3 2-6 7-6 (7-4) and fellow Croatian Ana Konjuh downed China’s Saisai Zheng 6-3 6-4.

World No.1 Serena Williams pulled out of the event on Thursday due to injury.

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