WTA Family Circle Cup: Bethanie Mattek-Sands needs nearly four hours to advance

WTA Family Circle Cup: Bethanie Mattek-Sands needs nearly four hours to advance

The 28-year-old Mattek-Sands needed three hours and 42 minutes and had to save match point before finally edging out Rodionova 6-4 6-7 (7-4) 7-6 (7-3). setting up a clash with next.

Mattek-Sands, who will now face world No 16 Sloane Stephens, told the WTA's official website: "I don't think I've ever played a match that long. The good thing is I showed myself I can last out there and just grind it out."

Former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone was a surprise early casualty as she lost 3-6 6-4 7-6 (8-6) at the hands of Silvia Soler-Espinosa. Like Rodionova, Schiavone also had a match point but could not make it count.

Sorana Cirstea, the No 11 seed, battled past Tatjana Malek, winning 6-4 7-6 (7/5), while 12th seed Varvara Lepchenko prevailed 6-3 4-6 6-2 in an all-US battle against Christina McHale.

There was frustration for 13th seed Tamira Paszek who retired injured after dropping the opening set of her clash with 18-year-old Grace Min, the former US Open girls' champion.

Andrea Petkovic, the former world No 9 who is competing on a wild card, got her Charleston campaign under way with a 6-3 6-0 win against 16-year-old Taylor Townsend.