Coco Gauff comeback stuns Mertens as Pliskova falls early at Eastbourne
Playing late in the day, Gauff was picked apart by Mertens to begin with, and also trailed by a break in the second set, but the 17-year-old American rising star pulled off a 0-6 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 first-round win.
Seeds Elina Svitolina, Bianca Andreescu and Swiatek all came through three-set matches on a busy day, but Karolina Pliskova was not so fortunate in her opener.
Winner of the grass-court event in 2017 and 2019, Pliskova arrived as the defending champion after last year’s edition was cancelled amid the coronavirus pandemic.
However, her hopes of a repeat triumph came to an early end, beaten in three sets by qualifier Camila Giorgi.
The fifth seed was in charge initially against an opponent she had prevailed against in five of their six previous meetings, yet Giorgi produced an impressive response having fallen behind – aided by a strong service performance – to win 2-6 6-2 6-2.
Svitolina, the second seed, had lost in her previous two appearances in the main draw, and it appeared history could be repeated when Paula Badosa claimed the opening set against her.
