British number three Naomi Broady got her 2017 season off to the best possible start as she breezed into the second round of the ASB Classic in Auckland.
The world number 90 continously showed her battling spirit to see off her higher-ranked opponent Danka Kovinic 7-6 (7/5) 6-3 and ensure she remains in the top 100.
Broady reached the quarter-final of this tournament last year but looked up against it early on against the world number 70 as she was broken twice to trail the first set 5-2.
But she found her groove and rattled off four successive games to send the set to a tie-break, where she again wiped out a deficit, winning five successive points to claim it 7/5.
The second set followed a similar pattern as an early break for Kovinic saw her take a 3-0 lead but Broady's response was even better as she won the next six games to get the job done in straights.
Get exclusive Willie Mullins insight, plus access to premium articles, expert tips and Timeform data, plus more... 
