Luksika shines on bleak day for seeds
Thai, Bencic produce upsets at Aussie Open
MELBOURNE: World No.124 Luksika Kumkhum stunned No.83 Johanna Larsson of Sweden 6-3, 7-5 to reach the second round of the Australian Open yesterday.
The opening day featured a number of upsets as Venus Williams led a slew of seeds out of the tournament in a dark day for American players.
Fifth seed Williams was eliminated by Swiss star Belinda Bencic, fresh from winning the Hopman Cup with Roger Federer.
No.78 Bencic will next meet Luksika in the second round tomorrow.
Luksika, 24, had to play three qualifying matches to book her place in the main draw at Melbourne Park.
“I am very happy to win today,” said the Chanthaburi native.
“I had played Johanna once, so I did my homework for this match.”
She added: “Although my ranking is lower than Bencic, I will do my best. It will be a tough match for me especially after she beat Venus Williams.”
It is Luksika’s fourth Australian Open appearance, having played in Melbourne in 2013, 2014 and 2017.
She reached the second round in 2013 and 2014, shocking Petra Kvitova in the opening round of her second appearance.
Fellow American and US Open champion Sloane Stephens was also sent packing yesterday, along with big-hitter CoCo Vandeweghe, the 10th seed and a semi-finalist last year.
And the US misery was compounded on the men’s side with eighth seed Jack Sock toppled by Japan’s Yuichi Sugita and 16thseed John Isner sent home by Australian
Matthew Ebden.
Other seeded casualties included South Africa’s 2017 US Open finalist Kevin Anderson, who was bundled out a in a five-set thriller by Britain’s Kyle Edmund.
Third seed Grigor Dimitrov survived, as did volatile Australian Nick Kyrgios, who collected a code violation for swearing at the crowd.
Seven-time Grand Slam winner Williams, in her 77th major, struggled against a player who had never before beaten her to go down 6-3, 7-5 and deprive the tournament of one of its biggest names.
It is the first time since 1997 that there will be neither of the Williams sisters in the second round, with Serena not playing after giving birth to her first child.
“I don’t think I played a bad match. She just played above and beyond,” said the 37-year-old.
Bencic, 20, said featuring with Federer at the Hopman Cup had helped a lot, with the Swiss legend giving her advice and tips.
“I think all the week it was so great learning from him on the court or off the court,” she said, adding she spoke to him briefly after her match and he “was very happy for me”.
Vandeweghe slumped out to Hungary’s Timea Babos 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 and revealed afterwards she had been bedridden with flu for four days.
With Stephens also departing, to China’s Zhang Shuai, it was a calamitous day for the US, in stark contrast to the last Grand Slam of 2017, when all three of them made the semi-finals at the US Open.
It left the women’s draw more unpredictable than ever, which was good news for French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, who saw off Francesca Schiavone 6-1, 6-4.
The seventh seed raced through the first set on Rod Laver Arena against the veteran Italian who was bizarrely wearing a back brace on the outside of her shirt, before a tougher second set.
“I knew before the match that it’s not going to be easy. She’s very experienced player and she’s very long time on tour,” said the Latvian.
Fourth seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina was another to stay in the hunt.
Also into the next round was German 12th seed Julia Goerges, who won the lead-up Auckland Classic and is now on a 15-match unbeaten streak having ended 2017 with victories at Moscow and Zhuhai.
Twelve-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic, seeded 14, starts today along with Federer, Maria Sharapova and top seed Simona Halep.