Title race under way at Istanbul Cup

ISTANBUL

The TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Cup started with the first round games yesterday, with Serbia’s Bojana Jovanovski advancing to the second round. Jovanovski, the seventh-seed in the tournament, beat Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck in three sets to advance to the second round. Earlier on the center court in Istanbul’s Koza World of Sports Arena, Czech Kristyna Pliskova beat Turkey’s Pemra Özgen 6-3, 6-4 in a qualifying game that was postponed from a day earlier. In qualifying games on July 13, Britai

The TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Cup started with the first round games yesterday, with Serbia’s Bojana Jovanovski advancing to the second round.

Jovanovski, the seventh-seed in the tournament, beat Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck in three sets to advance to the second round.

Earlier on the center court in Istanbul’s Koza World of Sports Arena, Czech Kristyna Pliskova beat Turkey’s Pemra Özgen 6-3, 6-4 in a qualifying game that was postponed from a day earlier.

In qualifying games on July 13, Britain’s Johanna Konta, Romania’s Alexandra Dulgheru, Japan’s Misa Eguchi, Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, Croatia’s Ana Konjuh and Hungaria’s Melinda Czink have advanced to the main table.

Istanbul Cup, a WTA event from 2005 to 2010 that then took a three-year absence while the WTA Championships were held in Istanbul, hosts a bill including Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki and Italy’s Roberta Vinci. The games will start at 11 a.m. today.