Charleston, SC (SportsNetwork.com) - Seeded Brit Heather Watson exited the draw Monday at the ladies' Family Circle Cup tennis event.
Croat Donna Vekic outlasted the 16th-seeded Watson 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 on the clay courts at Family Circle Tennis Center.
A pair of seeds avoided upsets, as No. 13 Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu topped German qualifier Laura Siegemund 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) and No. 15 German Mona Barthel handled Hungarian Timea Babos 6-3, 6-3.
In opening-round action involving American players, Shelby Rogers spanked Spaniard Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-3, 6-1; wild card Sachia Vickery overcame qualifier compatriot Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4); Lauren Davis came back to best fellow countrywoman Grace Min 6-7 (1-7), 7-6 (7-2), 6-3; China's Zhang Shuai dismissed Nicole Gibbs 6-4, 7-5; and German Tatjana Maria mauled Irina Falconi 6-1, 6-3.
Several other women moved on, including South African Chanelle Scheepers and Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova.
The top seeds this week are Wimbledon runner-up Genie Bouchard, Russian left- handier Ekaterina Makarova and reigning Charleston champ Andrea Petkovic, who topped Slovak Jana Cepelova in last year's finale. Bouchard will open up against Davis, while Makarova will encounter Zhang and Petkovic will face Scheepers.
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