Athens Open WTA Day One Round-Up | Maria Sakkari battles through Kudermetova scare as Zheng Qinwen returns with win

The opening day of the Athens Open delivered important victories for several of the tournament’s biggest names, with Zheng Qinwen, Maria Sakkari and Alycia Parks all moving through to the second round. Zheng earned a straight-sets victory over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, while Sakkari overcame Polina Kudermetova in a dramatic two-set battle on home soil. Parks also advanced in straight sets after surviving a tight opening-set tie-break against Greek wildcard Valentini Grammatikopoulou.

The day also featured another impressive performance from rising Austrian talent Lilli Tagger, who continued her strong progress with a dominant win over wildcard Marianne Argyrokastriti. Sakkari will now face Harriet Dart in the next round after the Briton survived a dramatic three-set thriller against Mina Hodzic, while Zheng will meet qualifier Elena Micic after her victory over Martha Matoula.

Zheng Qinwen began her Athens Open campaign with a valuable straight-sets victory over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, overcoming a competitive opening set before taking control of the match in the second. The Chinese star was forced to fight through several difficult moments early on, with Bouzas Maneiro matching her level from the baseline and recovering an early break to keep the opening set balanced.

The decisive moment arrived late in the first set, when Zheng applied pressure at 5-5 and finally found the breakthrough. Bouzas Maneiro appeared close to forcing a tie-break, but Zheng remained composed and converted her opportunity to take the opening set 7-5.

With momentum on her side, Zheng raised her level in the second set. The former world No. 4 immediately created separation with an early break and continued to dictate play with her powerful groundstrokes, eventually closing out a 6-2 second set to secure an important win.

The victory carries extra significance for Zheng, who has dropped down the rankings after an extended period away from competition due to injuries and an inconsistent return. The Chinese player needs to win the Athens title to return to the Top 100, but every match victory during this tournament represents an opportunity to rebuild confidence and find rhythm ahead of the final part of the season.

Maria Sakkari produced a strong start on home soil before being forced to battle through a much tighter second set against Polina Kudermetova. The Greek wildcard opened the match in dominant fashion, delivering a flawless first set as she raced to a 6-0 lead and completely controlled the early exchanges.

Sakkari continued her momentum at the beginning of the second set, quickly establishing an advantage and appearing on course for a comfortable victory. However, Kudermetova responded with greater aggression and finally found openings in Sakkari’s service games, recovering the deficit and turning the set into a tense battle.

The second set remained competitive until the final stages, with Kudermetova saving match points to force a tie-break and put pressure back on the home favourite. Sakkari, though, maintained her composure in the decisive moments and eventually closed out the victory to reach the second round. The Greek player will now face Harriet Dart, who secured a dramatic win earlier in the day against Mina Hodzic.

Sara Bejlek made a dominant start to her Athens Open campaign before overcoming a tougher second set, defeating Viktoria Morvayova in straight sets to reach the second round. The Czech player controlled the opening set from start to finish, racing through a 6-0 bagel in just 31 minutes. Bejlek dictated play with her consistency and aggression, leaving Morvayova unable to find a response.

The second set was a much closer contest, with Morvayova raising her level and putting pressure on Bejlek as she looked to force a deciding set. The Slovak player moved into a promising position, but Bejlek responded at the crucial moment, winning five of the last six games to turn the set around.

Bejlek eventually closed out the victory in straight sets, continuing her strong season and advancing to the second round in Athens.

Alycia Parks secured a straight-sets victory over Valentini Grammatikopoulou in a competitive opening-round battle at the Athens Open, overcoming a difficult first set before finding the decisive moments needed to close out the match.

The opening set was tightly contested from the beginning, with neither player able to establish a clear advantage. Grammatikopoulou, backed by the home crowd, matched Parks’ power and stayed composed in the longer exchanges, forcing the American into a tie-break after both players held their ground on serve.

Parks raised her level when it mattered most, taking control of the breaker and winning it 7-3 to move ahead after a challenging opening set. The American carried that momentum into the second set, but Grammatikopoulou refused to fade and continued putting pressure on Parks.

The Greek player briefly moved ahead in the second set, creating another opportunity to push the match into a deciding set. However, Parks responded immediately, recovering the break and restoring parity before finding the final breakthrough late in the set.

The American secured the decisive break at the crucial moment and closed out the victory in straight sets. Parks advances to the second round, where she will face Mai Hontama after the Japanese player defeated Magda Linette earlier in the day.