Chinese qualifier Guo Hanyu achieved her first-ever WTA Tour singles victory at the Canadian Open in Montreal on Monday, defeating Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva 6-3, 6-3 in the opening round.
Best known for her success in doubles—where she has claimed five tour titles—Guo has largely competed in singles on the ITF circuit. She punched her ticket to Montreal's main draw with a dominant 6-0, 6-0 qualifying win over Romania's Mihaela Buzarnescu.
Putintseva, ranked No. 43, had won six straight matches against players from the Chinese mainland, but Guo seized the moment with aggressive baseline play and solid defense, forcing errors and capitalizing on break-point opportunities.
The victory boosts Guo's live WTA ranking to No. 211. Up next is a second-round showdown with world No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek of Poland, promising a high-stakes clash and another chance for the underdog to shine.
Reference(s):
China's Guo Hanyu secures career first WTA Tour win at Canadian Open
cgtn.com
