Australian Open 2020: Simona Halep and Karolina Pliskova through, misery for Maria Sharapova
Four women’s singles seeds exited the Australian Open at the first hurdle, but Simona Halep and Karolina Pliskova did reach the next round.
Simona Halep and Karolina Pliskova came through their first-round matches at the Australian Open, as Maria Sharapova suffered an early exit in the women’s singles.
Fourth seed Halep was handed a testing opener against Jennifer Brady, who had beaten Ash Barty at the Brisbane International this month.
But the Romanian prevailed 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 in one hour and 36 minutes to join home hope Barty, defending champion Naomi Osaka and tournament favourite Serena Williams in round two.
An up-and-down first set was crucial, as Halep twice recovered from a break down and saved three set points while Brady was serving at 6-5.
Halep found a way to force a tie-break and then edged it 7-5 before running away with the contest in the second set.
Simply superb, @Simona_Halep!
The fourth seed is through to the second round with a 7-6(5) 6-1 win over Jennifer Brady#AO2020 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/Cgj87PSnn8
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2020
Wimbledon champion Halep also had to overcome a first-set fall that required the trainer to check on her wrist and joked she had also stumbled in her first match of the 2018 tournament, when she made it all the way to the final.
“In 2018 it was the same, probably I can repeat that!” said Halep.
“I don’t know why in the first round always I fall down. Maybe it’s a good sign but it’s too far to think about that.
“My wrist is pretty painful. I need to chill and recover for the second round.”
Second seed Pliskova earned a 6-1 7-5 victory over Kristina Mladenovic, losing serve just once in the 87-minute battle. The Czech faces Laura Siegemund next, while Halep will take on Harriet Dart.
TOP 10 ALL THROUGH AS SHARAPOVA’S WOES CONTINUE
Sharapova suffered her third consecutive loss in the first round of a grand slam following a 6-3 6-4 defeat against 19th seed Donna Vekic as the former world number one hit 31 unforced errors.
A first-round casualty at Wimbledon and the US Open, Sharapova – who has been struggling for form and fitness – crashed out in the first round of the Australian Open for the first time since 2010.
@DonnaVekic does it!
She’s through to the second round after defeating 2008 champion Sharapova 6-3 6-4#AO2020 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/TmnZy3mx7E
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2020
Sixth seed Belinda Bencic won 6-3 7-5 against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, while Madison Keys was a 6-3 6-1 victor against Daria Kasatkina, as all of the top 10 seeds moved safely into round two.
Elina Svitolina claimed a 6-4 7-5 victory in her match against Katie Boulter, while former grand slam champions Angelique Kerber and Garbine Muguruza were winners against Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Shelby Rogers respectively. Muguruza won by an unusual 0-6 6-1 6-0 scoreline.
KONTA AND VONDROUSOVA BOW OUT
Johanna Konta, Marketa Vondrousova, Amanda Anisimova and Anastasija Sevastova were the seeds to fall on day two.
An Australian Open semi-finalist in 2016, British 12th seed Konta suffered a 6-4 6-2 loss to Ons Jabeur.
On the comeback trail following a tendinitis-related problem in her right knee, which forced her to withdraw from Brisbane and Adelaide, Johanna Konta was only making her second appearance since losing in the US Open quarter-finals last year.
Konta said: “Ultimately the main thing was to start playing again, and I am. How I physically felt out there is obviously a massive tick for me compared to where I was in September. Before Brisbane I had been out for almost four-and-a-half months.”
Welcome back Svetlana
After two years away, @SvetlanaK27 upsets 15th seed Marketa Vondrousova 6-2 4-6 6-4 to advance to the #AusOpen second round for the 14th time.#AO2020 pic.twitter.com/hrzcaJIqIs
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2020
Czech Vondrousova, the 15th seed and French Open finalist last year, lost in three sets to Russian veteran Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Another rising star fell as 18-year-old American Anisimova lost out in a final set to Zarina Diyas, while home hope Ajla Tomljanovic emphatically accounted for Sevastova with a 6-1 6-1 triumph to book a round-two meeting with Muguruza.
