Saso loses then beats Shibuno, trails An

Yuka Saso lost her opening match against Narin An but bounced back with a 3&1 victory over Hinako Shibuno in the T-Mobile Match Play Championship on Thursday (Friday Manila time) at Shallow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas.

Despite Shibuno's early lead, Saso managed to secure a crucial birdie on the par-3 13th and won three straight holes from No. 15 to clinch the match.

Saso now trails group leader An, who defeated Yealimi Noh with a resounding 5&4 win, and must defeat Noh in her final elimination match while hoping Shibuno upsets An to keep playoff hopes alive.

Other notable performances include Jeeno Thitikul's 2&1 victory over Gaby Lopez for two points in Group 2, and Sei Young Kim's 4&2 win over Yuna Nishimura in Group 4.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda rebounded with a 1-up victory against Jennifer Kupcho after an all-square result against Altomare, keeping her in contention for the knockout stage.