Nao Hibino advanced to the second round in Singapore after getting past Kristina Mladenovic in three sets. The match lasted 138 minutes and ended 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 in favor of the Japanese player.
Match recap
Hibino took the first set 7-5, edging it out with her class in the closing stages. In the second set, Mladenovic seized the initiative, winning it 6-3 to level the match. The deciding stretch belonged to Hibino, who sealed the victory by taking the third set 6-4.
In sets, the win was recorded 2:1 in favor of the Japanese player.
What the statistics show
Both players won 39 points on first serve, with an equal number of first-serve points played: 70 to 70. Hibino hit 2 aces to Mladenovic's one, but also committed fewer double faults: 4 to her opponent's 5. Of 10 break points, Hibino converted 7, while Mladenovic used 6 of her 14 chances. The overall points tally favored the winner: 96 to 94.
The head-to-head now favors Nao Hibino: 3 wins to Kristina Mladenovic's one. Their previous meeting in 2024 also ended with a Hibino victory, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.