Varvara Lepchenko defeated Clervie Ngounoue 1-6, 6-4, 4-6 in the Washington first round, winning on the back of a dominant first set and a decisive third. Lepchenko converted four break points overall and saved one of three she faced, while Ngounoue converted two breaks from six chances.
Lepchenko stormed through the opening set, breaking Ngounoue three times and dropping just one game. Ngounoue levelled the match in the second set, converting two breaks. The decider featured five breaks; Lepchenko took a 1-0 lead and later went up 2-1, only for Ngounoue to reply each time. The final break came at 4-6, with Lepchenko breaking in the ninth game to serve out the win.
Lepchenko's first serve was the key weapon: she won 74% of those points (37/50) compared to Ngounoue's 62% (36/58). She also edged the return battle, winning 34 return points to Ngounoue's 27, and finished with 84 total points to Ngounoue's 80.