Copa Colsanitas saw four of its top eight seeds crash out in the first round across Monday and Tuesday. This included top seed Elise Mertens who exited on Tuesday. Mirjam Bjorklund ousted the Belgian 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(3) after two hours and 43 minutes.
Bjorklund won 71% of her first-serve points to Mertens’ 63%. The Swede saved four of the eight break points she faced while converting five of eight break points that came her way on Mertens’ serve. Bjorklund won 107 points to Mertens’ 94 for the match.
In the second round, the world no. 133 will take on Tamara Zidansek. The Slovenian won 6-0, 6-1 against Hungarian Reca-Luka Jani.
Copa Colsanitas: Elina Avanesyan too good for Sara Errani
Elina Avanesyan needed just 49 minutes to go past fifth seed Sara Errani in their round-of-32 clash.
Avanesyan won 6-1, 6-0. The Italian put in 84% of her first serves to Avanesyan’s 61%. However, Avanesyan won 88% of her first-serve points and 61% of points on return on Errani’s first serve. She also won six of six points played on Errani’s second serve and converted five of eight break points on the latter’s serve.
Avanesyan’s next opponent will be Peyton Stearns. Stearns won against Spanish qualifier Rosa Mas Vicens 6-3, 6-1. Austrian qualifier Sinja Kraus upset eighth seed Nadia Podoroska 6-4, 7-6(4) in their opening-round match on Tuesday.
Kraus came through after an hour and 52 minutes and will next play Italian qualifier Nuria Brancaccio. Brancaccio won against Greece’s Despina Papamichail, 6-2, 6-2. On Monday, Great Britain’s Francesca Jones upset third seed Nuria Parrizas Diaz.
Jones won 7-6(3), 6-1 against the Spaniard after an hour and 47 minutes of play. Jones will play Canadian Carol Zhao next. Meanwhile, Tatjana Maria, Kamilla Rakhimova, Laura Pigossi and Sara Sorribes Tormo were the seeds who reached the second round at the Copa Colsanitas.
The second-seeded Maria won against Katrina Scott, 6-1, 6-4. The fourth-seeded Rakhimova beat Cyprus’ Raluka Serban 7-6(3), 6-3. Pigossi came through against Colombian wildcard Antonia Samudio, 6-1, 6-0. Lastly, Sorribes Tormo beat fellow Spaniard Aliona Bolsova 6-0, 6-4.
Photo Credit: Elise Mertens Twitter 
