DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — American CoCo Vandeweghe won her first match of the year with a 7-6 (5), 6-1 upset against sixth-seeded Karolina Pliskova in the first round at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Monday.
The 46th-ranked Vandeweghe, who ended last season with a left ankle injury, had first-round exits at three previous tournaments this season — Auckland, Sydney and the Australian Open.
"Yeah, first win of the year," Vandeweghe said. "It was very tough going into the Australia swing because I finished last year injured."
While the first set was close, Vandeweghe, an aggressive player with a power serve, dismantled her Czech opponent in the second set, winning the final six games in a row.