Brace edges Kinoshita 7-5 7-6 to reach Sao Paulo main draw

Cadence Brace came through the tightest of qualifying finals in Sao Paulo, beating Hayu Kinoshita 7-5 7-6 without ever pulling clear. The Canadian's margin came from sheer reliability on first serve: she landed 70.5 percent of them against Kinoshita's 62.3, which kept her out of trouble in the long games that decided the first set. Behind the second ball she was the more vulnerable player, winning 46.4 percent to Kinoshita's 55.2, and four double faults added to the tension. Neither player could break clear in the second, but Brace took the tie-break and the main-draw place.