Donna Vekic stamped her red-hot start to 2023 with her first title of the season, defeating world number five Caroline Garcia 6-4 3-6 7-5 in the Monterrey Open final on Sunday.

Vekic, 26, has now won 14 of her past 16 matches dating back to New Year's Eve, and she dropped only two sets through her five matches in Mexico this week. She also made the 2023 Australian Open quarter-finals, losing to eventual winner Aryna Sabalenka.

The Croatian grabbed the early break to control the first frame, and when serving for the set, Vekic showed grit to fight back from a 40-0 deficit and save three break points en route to securing the opener.

She kept her momentum rolling into the second, breaking and consolidating to jump ahead 2-0, but the response from France's Garcia showed why she was the WTA Finals champion last season, rattling off five games in a row.

But Vekic showed no signs of slowing down, and Garcia was forced to save eight break points to keep the third set level, before the dam finally broke at 6-5 to prevent a tiebreaker.

It was the fourth title of Vekic's career, but only her second since 2017, having snapped a four-year drought at the 2021 Courmayeur Ladies Open.

Marta Kostyuk is through to her first WTA singles decider after defeating Danielle Collins 6-4 6-3 in Saturday's ATX Open semi-final.

Ukraine's Kostyuk prevailed in a closely contested battle against the highest seed remaining in the field, taking the only break of the first set after saving four Collins break points the game prior.

The two women traded breaks to begin the second set, but the 20-year-old Kostyuk was too strong down the stretch, winning five of the final six games.

It will also be the first WTA-level final for her opponent, with unseeded 22-year-old Russian Varvara Gracheva overcoming American Katie Volynets 6-4 5-7 6-4.

The two-and-a-half-hour clash was tight all the way through, with Gracheva only narrowly edging the total point count 101-94.

Meanwhile, down south of the border at the Monterrey Open, world number five Caroline Garcia won her semi-final against Elise Mertens 6-3 6-4.

The reigning WTA Finals champion will have a chance to collect the 12th singles title of her career, and her first of the season, when she meets Croatia's Donna Vekic in the final.

Vekic, the third seed, emerged the 7-5 6-2 victor against China's Zhu Lin, continuing a red-hot run of form that has seen her win 13 of her past 15 matches dating back to New Year's Eve.

Caroline Garcia is now three wins away from her first title of 2023 after defeating Nuria Parrizas-Diaz 6-3 6-2 in Thursday's second round of the Monterrey Open.

France's Garcia, the world number five and top overall seed, needed just 63 minutes to see off her Spanish challenger. She controlled the contest with her serve, taking the ace count eight to two while winning 75 per cent of her total service points (33-of-44).

She will now face Egypt's Mayar Sherif in the quarter-final after the seventh seed survived a tough 3-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 test from China's Wang Xinyu.

Fourth seed Elise Mertens emerged the 6-3 3-6 6-2 victor against Romania's Elena-Gabriela Ruse, while rising 22-year-old Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto prevailed 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-3) against Germany's Tatjana Maria.

North of the border in Austin's ATX Open, Danielle Collins ripped off a 67-minute 6-1 6-1 drubbing of Caty McNally to advance to the quarter-final.

Collins will meet Russia's Anna Kalinskaya next after the 24-year-old's convincing 6-3 6-1 victory over veteran CoCo Vandeweghe.

Eighth seed Marta Kostyuk is one of only three seeded competitors remaining after storming home in a 6-3 3-6 6-0 battle with Madison Brengle, and Germany's Anna-Lena Friedsam won the longest match of the day in a 7-5 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (10-8) three-hour war of attrition against 18-year-old Russian Erika Andreeva.

Ukrainian top seed Elina Svitolina was made to work hard but triumphed in more than two hours against Viktoriya Tomova as she booked her Monterrey Open quarter-final spot on Thursday.

Svitolina won 7-6 (7-3) 3-6 6-2 over the Bulgarian qualifier in two hours and 24 minutes, having trailed 2-0 in the final set, before rattling off the final six games to set up a last-eight meeting with fifth seed Camila Osorio.

The Ukrainian won the title at Monterrey in 2020, with her victory on Thursday maintaining her unbeaten record at the event.

"It was an extremely tough match today," Svitolina said during her on-court post-match interview. "I think Viktoriya played a really good match, and I had to really fight back in the third set to bring back my best game and try to come back in the match.

"In the end, I managed to win six games in a row, so it's a good effort for me. It was an extremely tough first set, second set didn't go my way, and then the third set I was 0-2 down. I was not playing my best, but I was fighting, until the very end.

"And you know, the Ukrainian flag [in the crowd] really helped me today to fight... I was really fighting until the end, and I found my game in the end."

Last week's beaten WTA Abierto Zapopan finalist Marie Bouzkova maintained her good form with a 6-4 6-2 victory over Petra Martic.

Sixth seed Nuria Parrizas-Diaz won 6-4 7-6 (7-2) over Briton Heather Watson, while Wang Qiang defeated Mayar Sherif 6-0 6-7 (2-7) 6-3.

Leylah Fernandez reached the quarter-finals of the Monterrey Open with a battling three-set win over Qinwen Zheng.

Last year's US Open runner-up came through 6-1 4-6 7-6 (7-3) in two hours and 42 minutes to continue the defence of the title she won last March.

Fernandez won a marathon second game on her eighth break point and consolidated that break with a second to go 5-1 ahead in a one-sided first set.

She served out the opener at the third time of asking, but Zheng was beginning to find her feet in the contest and threatened the Fernandez serve early in the second set.

Zheng's first break points finally came at 5-4 and she took her chance to level the contest against the 19-year-old.

But Fernandez outlasted Zheng in a tense decider that went the distance after both players held serve, the second seed aggressively attacking her opponent to take the tie-break 7-3.

Fifth seed Camila Osorio ended the challenge of home hope Marcela Zacarias, meanwhile, the Colombian winning 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.

She will next face either top seed Elina Svitolina or Viktoriya Tomova in the last eight.

Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia was a 6-2 6-2 winner against Xinyu Wang and will contest a quarter-final against either Marie Bouzkova or Petra Martic.

Sara Sorribes Tormo was also a straight-sets winner in Wednesday's action, the fourth seed easing past Harmony Tan 6-2 6-2. 

Elina Svitolina said she "was on a mission" for Ukraine after earning a straight-sets win over Russian opponent Anastasia Potapova in the opening round of the Monterrey Open.

The top seed donned the yellow and blue colours of her homeland for Tuesday's match and eased to a 6-2 6-1 victory in a little over an hour in Mexico.

Svitolina only agreed to play her opener after tennis authorities announced a ban on Russian and Belarussian players competing under the name and flags of their countries.

And as Russia's invasion of Ukraine entered its sixth day, the 27-year-old produced an impressive performance that saw her win 73.5 per cent of her first-serve points.

Former world number three Svitolina, who will now face Bulgarian qualifier Viktoriya Tomova, had previously announced she will donate her prize money to the Ukrainian army.

"It's a special one because of what we are going through right now in Ukraine, it's terrifying," Svitolina told reporters. 

"It's been six days and all the Ukrainian tennis players and Ukrainians who are there, we have been really terrified with what is happening.

"For me, playing the match here, I'm not playing only for myself. I'm playing for my country, I'm playing for the help of the Ukrainian army and people in need. 

"I was focused. I was on a mission for my country. From the beginning, it was important to be ready for anything that comes my way."

Petra Martic is also through to round two after recovering from behind to beat third seed Madison Keys 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.

Marie Bouzkova awaits following the world number 81's 4-6 6-2 6-4 win against Sara Errani. Number eight seed Ann Li's participation in the tournament came to an end with a 6-2 6-1 loss to Wang Xinyu, who will now face Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia.

US Open runner-up Leyla Fernandez cruised into the second round of the Monterrey Open after a straight-sets win over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova on Monday.

Monterrey Open defending champion Fernandez won 6-2 6-2 over the Slovakian, with the Canadian second seed dominant in all aspects as she triumphed in one hour and eight minutes.

In the longest match of the day, fourth seed Sara Sorribes Tormo needed more than three hours to edge Kamilla Rakhimova 7-5 6-7 (2-7) 6-1.

Fifth seed Camila Osorio defeated Magdalena Frech 6-3 7-6 (8-6), while Briton Heather Watson won 6-3 2-6 7-6 (7-4) over Jule Niemeier.

Harmony Tan, Marcela Zacarias, Viktoriya Tomova and Beatriz Haddad Maia were other winners on Monday.

Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez celebrated her maiden WTA Tour title after winning the Monterrey Open in straight sets.

Fernandez broke through with a comfortable 6-1 6-4 victory over qualifier Viktorija Golubic on Sunday.

Featuring in her second WTA final after losing last year's Mexican Open in Acapulco, the 18-year-old Fernandez ensured she got her hands on the trophy this time.

Fernandez did not drop a set throughout the WTA International tournament, easing past her Swiss opponent in one-and-a-half hours.

Leylah Fernandez and Viktorija Golubic will go head-to-head in the Monterrey Open after progressing on Saturday.

Canadian teenager Fernandez reached her second career WTA Tour singles final thanks to a 7-5 7-5 win over seventh seed Sara Sorribes Tormo.

The 18-year-old Fernandez – whose first final came via last year's Mexican Open in Acapulco, where she lost – converted six of nine break points and hit 35 winners.

Standing in Fernandez's way is Switzerland player Golubic.

Golubic upstaged eighth seed Ann Li 6-2 6-4 to become the first qualifier to advance to the Monterrey Open final in the tournament's history.

The 28-year-old Golubic also reached the Lyon Open final two weeks ago – beaten by Clara Tauson.

Eighth seed Ann Li toppled the top remaining seed Zheng Saisai in the quarter-finals of the Monterrey Open on Friday, throwing the field wide open.

Li triumphed 7-5 6-1 over third seed Zheng, who held the highest rank of all remaining players after Sloane Stephens and Nadia Podoroska's first-round exits.

World number 52 Zheng struggled to win on her first serve, with Li converted five of seven break points.

American Li, who is ranked 72nd in the world, will next face Swiss qualifier Viktorija Golubic, who beat Russia's Anna Kalinskaya 6-2 6-4.

On the other side of the draw, Canadian Leylah Fernandez defeated Slovakia's Viktoria Kuzmova 7-5 6-3 and will face seventh seed Sara Sorribes Tormo in the other semi-final.

Sorribes Tormo, who is now the highest ranked remaining player, defeated Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-3 7-5.

Third seed Zheng Saisai comfortably accounted for countrywoman Zhu Lin to reach the quarter-finals of the Monterrey Open on Thursday.

Zheng, who is ranked 27th in the world, triumphed 6-1 6-2 in a dominant display where she was seldom challenged.

In the last eight, Zheng will face eighth seed Ann Li, who overcame Slovenian Tamara Zidansek 6-4 6-3 at the WTA International tournament.

Zheng is the highest remaining seed left standing in the draw after the first-round exits of top seed Sloane Stephens and Nadia Podoroska.

Russian qualifier Anna Kalinskaya continued her good run with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Nina Stojanovic and she will next face Viktorija Golubic in the quarters – the latter topped Lauren Davis 6-3 6-1.

Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez booked her spot in the Monterrey Open quarter-finals after easing past Kristina Kucova.

Fernandez cruised into the last eight of the WTA International tournament on Wednesday by defeating Slovakia's Kucova 6-1 6-4 in Mexico.

Kucova had eliminated top seed and 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens on Tuesday, but she was no match for the 18-year-old Fernandez midweek.

Next up for Fernandez is Viktoria Kuzmova, who beat lucky loser Harriet Dart 6-4 6-3.

Spanish seventh seed Sara Sorribes Tormo did not have to take to the court, benefiting from a walkover after Kaja Juvan withdrew.

Sorribes Tormo will face Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, who outlasted Jasmine Paolini 2-6 6-2 6-2.

Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens has continued her torrid start to 2021 after crashing out in the first round of the Monterrey Open on Tuesday.

Stephens went into the Mexico event as top seed but lost to Slovakian world number 151 Kristina Kucova 6-2 6-2.

The 27-year-old American is now 0-4 to start the 2021 WTA Tour season and has won only one set all season.

Stephens, now ranked 48th in the world, only managed to win 32.4 per cent of points on her first serve, with Kucova converting seven of 14 break points in the match.

Second seed Nadia Podoroska was also a first-round casualty on Tuesday, going down 6-4 6-4 to Russian qualifier Anna Kalinskaya.

In the late match, Eugenie Bouchard went down to China's Lin Zhu 7-5 7-6 (6-3).

Nao Hibino was a shock first-round casualty at the Monterrey Open, while fellow seed Ann Li advanced.

Seeded ninth for the WTA International tournament, Japan's Hibino was upstaged 3-6 6-2 6-3 by Jasmine Paolini on Monday.

American eighth seed Li, however, had no such trouble in her 6-3 7-5 victory over Arantxa Rus on the outdoor hard courts.

Coco Vandeweghe – the 2017 Australian Open semi-finalist – suffered another early exit in Mexico.

After being ousted by Mihaela Buzarnescu in the opening round in Guadalajara last week, former world number nine Vandeweghe was eliminated 6-3 6-2 by Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez.

Fernandez will face either top seed Sloane Stephens or lucky loser Kristina Kucova in the second round.

Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, Nina Stojanovic, Viktoria Kuzmova, Lauren Davis and Tamara Zidansek also progressed from the opening round.