Australian Open: Sloane Stephens and Angelique Kerber make strong start
A former Australian Open semi-finalist and the 5th seed Sloane Stephens has scored her first win in Melbourne since 2014 following a commanding 6-4, 6-2 win over the compatriot Taylor Townsend in just 67 minutes. The better-ranked American served at 80% and despite losing serve twice she had the advantage ever since she erased an early deficit in the opening set, hitting more winners and fewer unforced errors to leave the rival far behind. Taylor made the best possible start after seizing an opening eight points but she couldn't build more on that, losing serve in game three and also the edge on the return in the rest of the set, allowing Sloane to impose her strokes and wait for another chance on the return patiently.
She wasted three break points at 3-3 but found the way to steal Townsend's serve two games later before closing the opener with a hold at 15 in game 10. Stephens was on a roll now, breaking three times in a row in the second set and sealing the deal on the fifth match point while leading 5-2 to secure the place in the second round. Twelve months ago, a former winner Angelique Kerber had two match points against Simona Halep in the semi-final but she squandered them to stay empty-handed in Melbourne, returning with a mission to go two steps further and lift the title for the second time.
It is so far so good for the German following a 6-2, 6-2 triumph over Polona Hercog in 72 minutes, playing well in the crucial moments to send the Slovenian packing. Hercog was the more aggressive player but she failed to reduce the number of errors, wasting all four break points she earned and giving her serve away on four occasions to finish on the losing side. Angelique forged the lead with breaks in the third and fifth games of the opening set and she raced towards a 6-2, 4-1 lead before saving three break points in game six and bringing the match home with an excellent hold at 5-2.
An in-form Croat Donna Vekic needed just 75 minutes to dismiss Kristina Mladenovic 6-2, 6-4 and march towards the second round, delivering fury from the first serve and outplaying the French girl on the return as well. Mladenovic did score two breaks but that was never enough after such a poor performance behind her initial shot, struggling on both the first and second serve and getting broken five times from eight opportunities she gave to the Croat. The 11th seed Aryna Sabalenka had no troubles versus the Russian qualifier Anna Kalinskaya, delivering a 6-1, 6-4 win in 66 minutes to kick off her campaign in a perfect manner. Aryna never lost her serve and she secured three breaks to stay ahead all the time.
First round results:
Sachia Vickery (USA) vs [Q]Ysaline Bonaventure (BEL) 2-6 6-4 6-4 Katie Boulter (GBR) vs Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 6-0 4-6 7-6(10-6) Rebecca Peterson (SWE) vs Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 6-4 6-1 Danielle Collins (USA) vs [14]Julia Goerges (GER) 2-6 7-6(5) 6-4 [11]Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) vs [Q]Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) 6-1 6-4 [19]Caroline Garcia (FRA) vs [Q]Jesikka Ponchet (FRA) 6-2 6-3 [Q]Astra Sharma (AUS) vs [WC]Priscilla Hon (AUS) 7-5 4-6 6-1 [29]Donna Vekic (CRO) vs Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 6-2 6-4 Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) vs Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) 6-3 6-2 [31]Petra Martic (CRO) vs Heather Watson (GBR) 6-1 6-2 [WC]Zoe Hives (AUS) vs Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) 6-1 6-2 [24]Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) vs Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) 6-4 7-6(4) [WC]Kimberly Birrell (AUS) vs [Q]Paula Badosa Gibert (ESP) 6-4 6-2 [5]Sloane Stephens (USA) vs Taylor Townsend (USA) 6-4 6-2 [2]Angelique Kerber (GER) vs Polona Hercog (SLO) 6-2 6-2
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2HdpQ2k
No comments