Two tournament favorites got knocked out in the first round of the Japan Women's Open on Tuesday, as top seed Misaki Doi fell on home soil against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus 7-5, 6-3, while second seed and defending champion Yanina Wickmayer also went out.
World No. 35 Doi, who reached a Grand Slam fourth round for the first time at Wimbledon in July, struggled with her first serves as she traded three breaks with Sasnovich in the first set. At 5-5, the 110th-ranked Belarusian secured four straight points after going 30-0 down to break before she held serve to take the initiative.
Sasnovich continued to keep Doi on her toes, especially with good cross-court backhands, and broke in the third game of the second set. Doi, cheered on by the home crowd at Ariake Tennis Forest Park, showed her grit, fighting back from 40-15 down to hold serve in the seventh game, but bowed out in an hour and a half after sending her forehand over for another Sasnovich break.