Pliskova shakes off nerves to reach Round 2, but Kerber crashes out
World No 1 Karolina Pliskova, bidding to back up her lofty status with a first grand slam title, made a winning start, but defending champion Angelique Kerber was beaten at the US Open yesterday.
Czech player Pliskova, the runner-up to Kerber in 2016, eased past Poland’s Magda Linette 6-2, 6-1 on the back of eight aces and 29 winners.
“I felt a little bit nervous walking on this court, especially after last year and the memories I have here,” said Pliskova, whose progression to the second round was only briefly halted by the roof on Arthur Ashe stadium being closed as rain swept the Flushing Meadows site.
The Czech, who will next face Paraguay’s Veronica Cepede Royg or American qualifier Nicole Gibbs, rolled on to prevail on her first match point with a second-serve ace after fighting off six break points in the fifth game of the second set.
The BBC reported that Pliskova has to reach the final of the tournament to have a chance of retaining her ranking, with several other women all bidding to overtake her by winning the year’s final major title.
The 25-year-old player has plenty of ranking points to defend after last year’s defeat.
Meanwhile, Japanese teenager Naomi Osaka sent Kerber crashing out with a stunning 6-3, 6-1 victory.
Sixth seed Kerber became the first defending champion to lose in the first round in New York since Svetlana Kuznetsova in 2005. Osaka, the world No 46 and 2016 WTA newcomer of the year, will face either Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson or Denisa Allertova of the Czech Republic for a place in the last 32.
Her defeat summed up a disappointing year for the German Kerber, who began 2017 as the player to beat.
Not only could she not defend her titles, she also lost the top ranking spot.
In the other early matches, Czech Republic’s Barbora Strycova, who is the 23rd seed at the tournament, progressed to the second round with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Japan’s Misaki Doi.
Sorana Cirstea of Romania beat Dutch player Lesley Kerkhove 6-1, 6-3.
Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer got the better of Ukrainian Lesya Tsurenko 6-3, 6-1.