Murray knocks out No 2 seed - while Christie enjoys winning Shrewsbury return
Samantha Murray claimed a notable scalp in the first round of the $25,000 Aegon GB Pro-Series tournament at The Shrewsbury Club - while fellow Brit Freya Christie insisted she's delighted to be back in Shropshire for the first time since reaching the final two years ago.
Murray, 30, produced a fine performance to knock out Serbian Ivana Jorovic, the No 2 seed, and a player ranked more than 300 places higher.
Murray beat Jorovic, 20 - a former world junior No 1 with a current world ranking of 181 - 7-6, 2-6, 6-2 to set up a second round clash today (Wednesday) with Scot Maia Lumsden, who swept aside higher ranked Croatian Ana Vrljic 6-1, 6-3.
Both players are in good form having won the last two $15,000 International Tennis Federation tournaments they entered, Lumsden in Sunderland last week and Murray in Wirral a week earlier.
Christie, from Nottinghamshire, was pleased to come through a first round clash with eighth seed Harriet Dart, her doubles partner, to set up a second round meeting with Eden Silva, another Brit, at the Sundorne Road venue today.
It was Christie’s first appearance in Shrewsbury since losing the 2015 Pro-Series final against French ace Oceane Dodin, a player now ranked in the world’s top 100.
Christie was encouraged with her performance and is happy with her progress since recently returning from injury.
“This is my third tournament back,” she said: "I snapped the tendon in my left wrist, so I was out for quite a while.
Freya Christie in action during her victory against doubles partner Harriet Dart at The Shrewsbury Club yesterday. Picture: Richard Dawson Photography.
"I’m just happy to be back on court really competing after all the rehab. It's great to be getting some wins.”
Christie has fond memories of The Shrewsbury Club: “It's great seeing all the people that supported me here a couple of years ago,” she added. “It's great to come back and I love the refurbishments that have taken place at the club."
As for beating Dart 6-4, 7-5, Christie stressed: "It was definitely a tough one and not easy playing my doubles partner as well, but I was happy with the way I played and I'm happy to come through it as well.”
Silva secured a second round appointment with Christie by beating Alicia Barnett 6-3, 6-0 in another all-British contest.
On a good day for British players, Emily Webley-Smith got the better of Slovenian Kaja Juvan 7-5 in the third set to secure a second round clash with top seed Lesley Kerkhove, the Dutch player currently 156 in the world, who overcame Shilin Xu from China in straight sets.
Promising teenager Katie Swan and Sarah Beth Grey are other Brits through to round two.
Swan beat Danish player Karen Barritza 7-5, 6-2 and will now meet Kathinka Von Deichmann, from Liechtenstein, the No 3 seed, who knocked out Brit Jodie Anna Burrage in straight sets.
Grey progressed after Romanian Raluca Georgiana Serban retired in the second set of their match. Grey led 7-6, 3-1 at the time and will next face Turkish player Pemra Ozgen, a first round conqueror of Spaniard Georgina Garcia-Perez, the No 5 seed.
Meanwhile, German Anna-Lena Friedsam, on the comeback trail from injury after being ranked as high as 45 in the world in August 2016, eased through 6-3, 6-2 in her first round match against French player Elixane Lechemia.
Today's second round matches in a tournament held in association with local company Morris & Co Homes will start at 10.30am.
Admission is free for spectators throughout the week, including to Saturday’s singles final.
