Players from opposite parts of the tournament bracket play each other in the opening rounds of the Swiss system competitions. In such cases ranking favorites are trying to prove their superiority over less experienced opponents with the help of pure technical means, avoiding unnecessary risk. The first round of the 2018 Moscow Open is not an exclusion from this rule. Chief opponents were playing with confidence, high techniques, but…. dull.
However, Grandmaster Oksana Gritsayeva managed to play a funny, beautiful and short game, the last is highly appreciated by the commentator!