Nadal off to brisk start
Muguruza survives Kasatkina scare; teen Aiava stuns Mattek-Sands
It’s tough to play against him. He plays a little bit Kamikaze, you know. He’s very aggressive with all the shots. It’s difficult to construct a point with him. — RAFAEL NADAL AFTER DEFEATING ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV
Brisbane, Jan. 3: French Open champion Garbine Muguruzasaved a match point before seeing off Russia’s Daria Kasatkina in the second round of the Brisbane International on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old Spaniard won 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (9/7) over the 19-year-old Kasatkina, who served for the match at 5-4 in the third set, only to be broken by the fourth-seeded Muguruza.
Spaniard Rafael Nadal, looking for a better season than the injury-plagued 2016, got off to a bright start with a straight set victory over Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine. Nadal, who won the exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi last week and is playing in Australia for the first time in seven years, instead of his usual Doha stop-over, eased into the second round without much concern against the big-serving Dolgopolov, winning in one hour and 15 minutes. Nadal next plays Mischa Zverev, who beat 17-year-old Aussie qualifier Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-3.
Third seed Czech Karolina Pliskova earlier continued her impressive form when she stormed past US qualifier Asia Muhammad 6-1, 6-4.
However, sixth seed Elina Svitolina was pushed hard by American Shelby Rogers before winning in three sets 7-5, 2-6, 7-5. France’s Alize Cornet stormed into the quarterfinals when she demolished Christina McHale in straight sets 6-2, 6-1. Earlier, Australian teenager Destanee Aiava created a slice of history when she became the first player born in the 2000s to win a main draw match on the WTA Tour.
The 16-year-old Aiava beat fellow qualifier Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the US 2-6, 63, 6-4 in a rain-delayed firstround match.
Djokovic battles past Struff
Doha: Novak Djokovic battled back from 5-1 down against World No. 63 JanLennard Struff to claim his first victory of the season at the Qatar Open on Monday.
The world number two lost his opening two service games and struggled
with the German’s big serves in the early exchanges.
But the Serb rallied in determined fashion to eventually take the first-round match 7-6 (7/1), 6-3.
There were victories for Dustin Brown, who edged past Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis in three sets in the first round of the singles, 6-1, 6-7 (2/7), 6-4.
And number four seed, Belgium’s David Goffin, who beat newly-knighted and World No.1 Andy Murray in an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi last week defeated Robin Hasse of the Netherlands, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.
Serena shakes off rust
Auckland: Serena Williams overcame rust and a troublesome wind to launch her comeback from a four-month lay-off with a 6-3, 6-4 win over 69th-ranked Pauline Parmentier at the Auckland Classic on Tuesday.
In her first outing since she was shocked by Karolina Pliskova in the US Open semifinals in September, the World No.2 made a sluggish start to a season in which she is seeking a record 23rd Grand Slam title.
In her first-round match, delayed from Monday when rain washed
out play, Williams struggled initially as France’s Parmentier broke
the American’s first service game and then held to love.
The third and fourth seeds, Caroline Wozniacki and Barbora Strycova,
both cruised through their opening matches, with Wozniacki beating
American Nicole Gibbs 6-1, 6-2 and Strycova a 6-4, 6-3 winner over
fellow Croatian Barbora Stefkova.
However, rain again affected evening play with second seed Venus Williams also making a slow start as she was 2-2 in the first
set against New Zealander Jade Lewis when play was stopped for the day.