Sakkari, Vekic win 1st-round matches at grass-court Nottingham Open

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Top-seeded Maria Sakkari has won her opening match at the Nottingham Open while former champion Donna Vekic also has advanced to the last 16 at the grass-court tournament. Sakkari is a No. 8-ranked Greek. She beat Xiyu Wang 6-2, 7-6 (6). Vekic of Croatia defeated Cristina Bucsa 6-2, 4-6, 6-1. Vekic won the event in 2017 and lost in the final in ’19. Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil is the defending champion in Nottingham and is coming off reaching the semifinals at the French Open last week. She plays Tuesday along with a slew of British players including new British No. 1 Katie Boulter.