Kostyuk, Gracheva and Kanepi among early winners at 2021 WTA Chicago Women's Open

While the Western & Southern Open has been completed, one of the final warm-up tournaments before the US Open has began in the Chicago Women's Open.

First round matches have began at the conclusion of qualifying with the likes of Marta Kostyuk, Jasmine Paolini, Kaia Kanepi and Varvara Gracheva through early on.

Kostyuk who has emerged as a rising star over the past year hasn't been in action for some time with a shoulder injury halting her Olympic Games debut.

But the Ukrainian who can be seen training hard on her Instagram has seemingly built herself back up after that injury.

It was a 6-0, 6-3 success on Sunday for the eighth seed seeing off Katherine Sebov.

Read also

2021 WTA Chicago Women's Open Prize Money with $235,238 on offer

While for Gracheva and Kanepi, it was more of an arduous task. The former dumped out Tamara Zidansek 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 as the fourth seed has not been able to return to form which saw her impress at Roland Garros. She won in Lausanne but lost early to Jelena Ostapenko in Cincinnati albeit on a different surface.

Kanepi saw off Anhelina Kalinina 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 in a successful opener, while Paolini coasted mast Misaki Doi 6-4, 6-2.

On Day Two, the likes of Marketa Vondrousova, Maria Osorio Serrano, Elina Svitolina and Venus Williams will be in action as the main names come to the foray.