Big guns on track after easy wins
Defending champion Naomi Osaka overcame a mid-match wobble to advance to the third round of the Australian Open with a straight-sets win over China’s Zheng Saisai.
The world No 4’s 6-2 6-4 victory on Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne sets up a third-round showdown with American teen sensation Coco Gauff, who fought back to beat Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea in a thrilling three-set clash, 4-6 6-3 7-5.
After cruising through the first set, Osaka, the third seed was broken twice early in the second, but won the last four games after being down 4-2.
The 2018 US Open champion didn’t have it all her on way, becoming frustrated by hitting a number of balls long in the windy conditions at Melbourne Park.
‘‘I got really fired when she [Zheng] was up 4-2 and people started clapping more . . . for the drama,’’ Osaka said post-match.
‘‘I was complaining over here and almost throwing my racket over there, but it worked out.
‘‘I know I’ve been in this position on this court before, but I really didn’t want to play a third set this time.’’
Normal service resumed with big Australian hope Ashleigh Barty sweeping into the third round in straight sets.
A three-set comeback winner in the opening round, top-seeded Barty needed barely an hour to see off Slovenian world No 48 Polona Hercog 6-1 6-4.
Barty next plays in-form Kazakh Elena Rybakina tomorrow for a place in the last 16. Rybakina beat Belgian qualifier Greet Minnen 6-3 6-4.
Osaka and Barty were joined in the third round by women’s seventh seed Petra Kvitova, who beat Spain’s Paula Badosa 7-5 7-5.
The two-time Wimbledon champion – who lost last year’s final to Osaka – saved three set points in the second set before advancing.
Kvitova rallied from 0-40 down in the 10th game of the second set to hold serve and then broke in the next game to regain control of the match.
Also through to the third round was an emotional Caroline Wozniacki, the 2018 champion who is retiring after the Open. She beat 23rd seed Dayana Yastremska 7-5 7-5 in a touch more than two hours on court. But 11th seed Aryna Sabalenka and 13th seed Petra Martic tumbled out.
Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open title defence remains on track following a commanding second-round win over Tatsuma Ito. Seeking an unprecedented eighth Melbourne Park crown,
Djokovic dismissed the Japanese challenger 6-1 6-4 6-2 in one hour and 35 minutes. The world No 2 didn’t face a single break point all match and converted five of his own.
Also advancing was sixthseeded Stefanos Tsitsipas who got a walkover when his opponent, Philipp Kohlschreiber, pulled out because a muscle strain.
In the men’s doubles first round, New Zealand’s Marcus Daniell and his Austrian partner Philipp Oswald, who were beaten in the doubles final at the ASB Classic in Auckland last week, made an early exit in Melbourne when they were beaten in straight sets 6-4 6-4 by sixth seeds Marcel Granollers, of Spain, and Horacio Zeballos, of Argentina.