Caroline Garcia, Jessica Pegula, Ons Jabeur shine in opening Eastbourne wins

Looking for final grass-court tune-ups ahead of Wimbledon, women’s seeds went 5-0 on Tuesday at the Rothesay International in Eastbourne. And all but one advanced in straight sets.

Second seed Caroline Garcia, who opted to play this WTA 500 in favor of defending last year’s Bad Homburg 250-level title, swept past Madison Brengle, 6-1, 7-5. The reigning WTA Finals champion was coming off a quarterfinal showing in Berlin, where she also triumphed in the doubles event alongside Luisa Stefani.

Making her 2023 debut on grass, third seed Jessica Pegula dispatched Zheng Qinwen, 6-3, 6-4. Pegula saved all eight break points she faced to seal the first-time meeting after one hour and 38 minutes. Camila Osorio awaits the Buffalo, N.Y. native.

Fourth seed Ons Jabeur and fifth seed Coco Gauff each shook off disappointing defeats. Jabeur, whose hopes of repeating her 2022 Berlin title run were dashed in the first round by Jule Niemeier, dismissed Jasmine Paolini, 6-3, 6-2. After being handed a bagel set in her second-round loss last week by Ekaterina Alexandrova, Gauff bounced back with a 6-3, 6-2 win over countrywoman Bernarda Pera.

Roland Garros semifinalist Beatriz Haddad Maia squeaked past Marie Bouzkova. The No. 8 seed was two points from exiting at 5-6, 30-30 in the third set, but survived, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3), to line up a clash with Petra Martic.

Incoming Birmingham titlist Jelena Ostapenko was due to face Berlin winner Petra Kvitova in a blockbuster first-rounder, before the Czech withdrew. Ostapenko later beat lucky loser Barbora Strycova, 6-4, 6-3.