Australia\u2019s Destanee Aiava is through to the second round of the ACT Claycourt International #1 after a straight sets win over fellow Australian Kimberley Birrell.<\/p>\n
The seventeen-year-old progressed 6-2 6-1, with her serve and forehand proving too strong for nineteen-year-old Birrell.<\/p>\n
The Fed Cup representative plays the winner of Jaimee Fourlis (AUS) and Risa Ozaki [3] (JPN) in the second round.<\/p>\n
Fellow Australians Jessica Moore and Zoe Hives were unfortunately knocked out in their matches against the top two Japanese seeds.<\/p>\n
Moore was up 5-2 in the first set against top seed Nao Hibino before the Japanese won three games in a row to get it back to 5-5. Some strong serving from Moore took the first set to a tiebreak, before Hibino proved too good, winning 7-6(5).<\/p>\n
The Australian broke early in the second set to lead 3-1, but again Hibino launched a comeback and took out the second set 6-3.<\/p>\n
Twenty-one-year-old Hives also endured a tough first round match against second seed Miyu Kato (JPN). The Australian started strongly, taking out the first set 6-2 after some solid serving and groundstrokes.<\/p>\n
The second set saw Kato with all the momentum, winning the first three games. But Hives wasn\u2019t about to go down without a fight, pushing the second set to a tiebreak. However, the current World No.144 proved too good for Hives, taking out the close tiebreak 7-6(5).<\/p>\n
The second seed won two very long service games early in the deciding set to go up a break 4-2. Hives fought hard to the end but it wasn\u2019t enough, with Kato prevailing 2-6 7-6(5) 6-3 in two-and-a-half hours.<\/p>\n
Canberra local Alison Bai opens her campaign on Wednesday against Australian Ellen Perez.<\/p>\n
Entry to the Canberra Tennis Centre is free with play to commence at 10am.<\/p>\n
Draws and the order of play can be found\u00a0here<\/a><\/p>\n Live scoring is available\u00a0here<\/a><\/p>\n