Strycova digs deep to down American
ASB Classic fifth seed Barbora Strycova had to work hard to defeat America’s Taylor Townsend at the ASB Classic yesterday.
Strycova won 6-2 6-7 6-3 and while the Czech looked to run away with it, being up 5-1 in the first set, with Townsend barely winning a point, there was a lengthy battle for the second set, which Townsend won, eventually, 7-5 in the tiebreak.
In the third set Strycova raised her level and showed impressive form.
‘‘It was very tough, I thought I was playing well at the beginning and she couldn’t find the court in the first set,’’ Strycova said afterwards.
‘‘But then she started to serve better and with with the wind and [her being] a lefty, all together this mix wasn’t good for me and I couldn’t close it up at the end of the second set.
‘‘But I’m very happy that I pulled through it in the first round.’’
Strycova isn’t one of those players who looks to keep her emotions on the inside.
She’s spoken in the past that she needs to control this, but says she’s now content to let it all out.
While that was a loss for an American on Centre Court, there was better news on Grandstand Court, with Sofia Kenin causing the first big upset of the Classic.
Kenin knocked out the fourth seed Petra Martic from Croatia, with the 20-year-old winning 7-5 2-6 6-2 in just over two hours to advance to the second round.
The Russia-born Kenin at last year’s Classic lost an epic quarterfinal to former world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki 4-6 6-2 6-4.
At that time she was ranked outside the top 100, but this year Kenin is at 52 in the world and is a steadily maturing player.
She beat Daria Kasatkina, Julia Goerges and Caroline Garcia last year to show she’s a player with potential to win titles.
She said she was delighted to get the win over Martic.
‘‘She’s a tough player and I knew I had to play my best,’’ Kenin told Stuff.
‘‘I was a bit nervous before the match, it’s the first match of the year and I want to get into a rhythm from the preseason.
‘‘I’ve played a lot of matches, but it’s different playing practice matches to tournaments, so I’m happy to get through it.’’
At times in the second set Kenin looked like she’d lost her rhythm as the shots that fell just inside the line in the tight first set, began to miss their mark.
She was able to regather her composure for the deciding set and a deserved win over the world No 32.
‘‘With some balls I just started making it and I was thinking ‘why am I making it now but wasn’t in the second set?’’’ Kenin said. ‘‘But I obviously got energy and played my aggressive game and stuck with it. I was thinking then ‘I can play now, I’m going to win.’’’
Kenin, who has twice reached the third round of the US Open, believes she’s come to Auckland an improved player from where she was 12 months ago.
‘‘I’ve definitely progressed. I’m happy with the rankings but obviously my goal is to be No 1. For this year hopefully I’ll be top 20, but right now I want to get back into the top 50.
‘‘I was 48, but I dropped a few spots. But I’ll play my game and it’s important to be healthy, because I don’t want to have any injuries.’’
Martic wasn’t the only seed to go out yesterday, with the eighthseeded Alison van Uytvanck having to retire with an ankle injury when up 4-3 in the opening set against Bibiane Schoofs, from the Netherlands.
For the seventh seed Kirsten Flipkens, from Belgium, there were no such problems though as she defeated America’s Sachia Vickery 6-2 6-2 in 63 minutes. Also, the No 3 seed Hsieh Su-Wei beat Polana Hercog 6-2 6-2.