KEY BISCAYNE, FL – MARCH 23: Naomi Osaka of Japan plays a shot against Elina Svitolina of the Ukraine during Day 5 of the Miami Open at the Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 23, 2018 in Key Biscayne, Florida. Al Bello/Getty Images/AFP
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Naomi Osaka of Japan and Daria Gavrilova of Australia were among the seeded players to advance in the opening round of the WTA’s Volvo Car Open on Monday.
Osaka, seeded No. 10, topped Jennifer Brady of the United States, 6-4, 6-4. Gavrilova defeated Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Other seeds who moved on at the Daniel Island Tennis Center were No. 12 Kiki Bertens of Netherlands, No. 14 Alize Cornet of France and No. 15 Mihaela Buzarnescu of Romania.
Most of the top seeded players, including No. 1 seed Caroline Garcia of France, will begin play on Tuesday in the season’s first clay-court event.
The tournament lost some of its star power when U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens, seeded fourth here, withdrew as she cited mental and physical exhaustion after winning the Miami Open this past weekend. Stephens said she did not feel prepared to play her best and felt she needed a break