Kasatkina powers past Bencic in 1st round in Moscow

MOSCOW (AP) Daria Kasatkina of Russia powered into the second round of the Kremlin Cup on Monday, beating Switzerland's Belinda Bencic 6-4, 6-1. The

MOSCOW (AP) Daria Kasatkina of Russia powered into the second round of the Kremlin Cup on Monday, beating Switzerland's Belinda Bencic 6-4, 6-1.

The eighth-seeded Kasatkina was 4-2 down in the first set but won 10 of the next 11 games. She next plays either Russian Ekaterina Makarova or American qualifier Nicole Gibbs.

The 19-year-old Kasatkina, ranked a career-high 24th, can cap her breakout season with a strong showing in Moscow, while Bencic has been ranked as high as seventh but is currently down in 43rd following an injury-plagued year.

Earlier, ninth-seeded Timea Babos of Hungary won her first-round match against Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5.

In the men's draw, Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci beat Turkey's Cem Ilkel 7-5, 6-1.