The first two main-draw matches on Ann Jones Centre Court at the Nature Valley Classic were upsets, as fourth seed Elina Svitolina and fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka bowed out to Margarita Gasparyan and Hsieh Su-Wei, respectively.
Russian world No.62 Margarita Gasparyan recorded the biggest victory of her career and second against a Top 10 player by overcoming seventh-ranked Elina Svitolina 6-3 3-6 6-4 in Birmingham’s first round on Monday. After scoring her first main-draw win on grass last week in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Gasparyan broke her fellow 24-year-old’s serve in the opening game on her way to taking the first set, while Svitolina earned an early break in the second set to get to one set apiece.