The highest ranking Bulgarian female tennis player Tsvetana Pironkova reached the second round of the WTA tournament in Birmingham

In a match from the first round played on Tuesday, Pironkova defeated Lesia Tsurenko from Ukraine with 6:4, 6:2.

The Bulgarian started the first set well, achieving an early break and coming in the lead with 2:0.

Tsurenko returned a break in the next game, but Pironkova kept the initiative and after claiming another break she came in the lead with 4:1.

The Ukrainian managed to recover, returned another break and equalised the score for 4:4.

However the Bulgarian claimed the opening set after recording a third break in the tenth game.

Tsurenko recorded a break in the opening game of the second set, but Pironkova returned the break in the next game.

The Bulgarian continued with her excellent performance and after achieving two more breaks claimed the final victory.

In their fifth encounter, Pironkova recorder her fourth victory against her Ukrainian opponent.

The Bulgarian continues to demonstrate excellent performance recently. First, she played her first quarterfinal at Roland Garros and now she recorded fourth consecutive victory in Birmingham after having won the three qualifiers.

In the second round, Pironkova will face the winner from the encounter between Belinda Bencic from Switzerland and Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu.

Meanwhile, Bulgaria's highest ranking male tennis player Grigor Dimitrov was ousted from the first round of the Queen's Club championship after losing to Janko Tipsarevic from Serbia with 6:7 (6), 6:4, 3:6.

Dimitrov recorded sixth consecutive loss in all tournaments and was defeated in the first round for a fifth time in a row.

In their fifth encounter, Tipsarevic recorded his fourth victory against his Bulgarian opponent.

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