Ana beat Australian Anastasia Rodionova 6-4, 6-0 in the first round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. The match began with the main stadium' roof open but rain began to fall with Ana leading 5-3, and was finished under cover.
Ana began the match sharply and led 3-0 after just eight minutes. She was far the superior player against an opponent who had trouble controlling both her shots and her emotions: Rodionova would frequently berate herself after unforced errors.
However, it was Rodionova who coped best with the half-hour stoppage in play, as she broke Ana as the 23-year-old served for the set.
Undeterred, Ana broke in the following game to seal the set.
In the second set Ana started to enjoy herself. She played some attractive, free flowing tennis, making use of the angles as much as her power.
"I'm happy with how I started the tournament," said Ana. "I was lucky that we have a roof here, so that we could finish the match.
"The first thing I noticed when I arrived at the site a few days ago was the speed of the courts: the surface is much slower and I like that. It's the same surface as the US Open, so it feels familiar and takes less time to adapt."
Ana takes on British wild card Laura Robson, who is ranked 146th, in round two. The match is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, but rain in Tokyo may cause a delay.
