No. 6 seed Yuan Yue came back from down 3-0 in the second set to win the last six games of the match and defeat former world No. 1 Simona Halep on Monday in the opening round of the Hong Kong Open.
Yue fired 22 winners and committed 12 unforced errors to beat Halep 6-3, 6-3.
The home court was also kind to China's Wang Xiyu, who came from 3-1 down in the second set to beat American qualifier Hina Inoue, 6-3, 7-6 (2). Also, Chinese qualifier Shi Han defeated Margarita Gasparyan in straight sets.
Another home crowd favorite was not so lucky. No. 4 Xinyu Wang couldn't hold on against France's Jessika Ponchet, who pulled off a come-from-behind 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 win. Also winning Monday in Hong Kong were Australian Priscilla Hon and Bernarda Pera.
Jiangxi Open
Russian Elena Pridankina beat Germany's Ella Seidel 6-3, 7-6 (6) for her first WTA main-draw victory in the opening round in Jiujiang, China, on Monday.
READ MORE: Fourth seed Wang upset by Ponchet at Hong Kong Open
Pridankina, 19, ranked a career-high No. 179, saved three set points in the second set to earn the win.
No. 1 seed Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic had to come back from an early break down in both sets to finish off Filipina Alexandra Eala 7-5, 7-6 (4). No. 5 seed Kamilla Rakhimova of Russia trailed 5-1 in the third set against Croatian Petra Martic before reeling off the next six games and winning 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 without ever facing match point.
READ MORE: Highlights of WTA250 Hong Kong Tennis Open
Other winners Monday included No. 4 seed Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain, who beat Kazakh Zarina Diyas in straight sets, and No. 6 seed Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands who edged Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-3. Also moving on to the next round were Germany's Tamara Korpatsch and Czech Linda Fruhvirtova.
Diana Shnaider wins opener
Top-seeded Diana Shnaider recorded a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Kyoka Okamura on Tuesday in the first round of the Hong Kong Open.
Shnaider, of Russia, fired three aces and won 26 of 32 points on her first serve to dispatch the Japanese native in 77 minutes.
No. 3 seed Leylah Fernandez of Canada took advantage of seven double faults to coast to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Great Britain's Heather Watson. No. 8 Cristina Bucsa of Spain seized a 6-3, 6-3 triumph over local favorite Hong Yi Cody Wong, while No. 7 Varvara Gracheva of France overcame a first-set stumble in a 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory over Tatiana Prozorova of Russia.
Jiangxi Open
Second-seeded Rebecca Sramkova breezed to a 6-1, 6-1 victory over local favorite Shuai Zhang in an opening-round match in Jiujiang, China.
Sramkova, of Slovakia, fired nine aces and took advantage of six double faults to dismiss Zhang in 48 minutes.
Unseeded German Laura Siegemund upended third-seeded Moyuka Uchijima 7-5, 6-3 and Thailand's Mananchaya knocked out No. 7 seed Lucia Bronzetti of Italy 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
