Ajla stuns Elena
MIAMI: Elena Vesnina, fresh off her victory at Indian Wells, crashed out of the Miami Open on Friday after a stunning 3-6, 64, 7-5 loss to World No 594 Ajla Tomljanovic.
The Croatian wildcard, who led Russia’s 13th-seeded Elena 5-3 in the third set on Thursday when a thunderstorm halted play, returned on Friday and cashed in on her third match point to secure a spot in the third round.
French Open champion Garbine Muguruza, whose opening match on Thursday was also interrupted, fared better than Elena after her night’s sleep.
The sixth-seeded Spaniard, who trailed 46th-ranked American Christina McHale 6-0, 3-2 when play was suspended on Thursday, escaped a match point in the tiebreak and emerged with an 0-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 victory.
Elena twice double-faulted to present the 23-year-old Croatian with match points after returning on Friday, but Ajla failed to cash in.
Yet another double fault by Elena made it 30-40 in the 12th game to put the Russian on the brink of defeat again before a rain shower caused another delay.
This time the wait was worth the while for Ajla. When play resumed the Russian netted a forehand to end it and send the wild card to the third round against Czech Lucie Safarova.
Elena committed a dozen double faults in the two hour 12 minute match.
Ajla, after enduring the tension of such an on-again, off-again huge upset, figures to make time to celebrate with her boyfriend Nick Kyrgios, who is playing in the Miami men’s event.
Romanian third seed
Simona Halep was pushed to three sets by Japanese teenager Naomi
Osaka before advancing 6-4, 2-6,
6-3, while seeds
Timea Babos and
Roberta Vinci were also eliminated.
France’s Pauline Parmentier overcame Hungarian Timea, the 24th seed, 67(1), 6-2, 6-0, and American qualifier Taylor Townsend beat 25th seed Roberta of Italy 6-3, 6-2.