Romania’s Simona Halep gestures after winning the match against Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi. (Source: Reuters)Top seed Simona Halep showed grit and determination to come from a set down against Kaia Kanepi in a 6-7(2) 6-4 6-2 victory in the Australian Open on Tuesday and survive a repeat of a first-round Grand Slam exit at the hands of the Estonian.
In a rematch of last year’s U.S. Open first round, where Kanepi dumped her out in straight sets, Halep had to dig deep against the powerful groundstrokes of her opponent, who is ranked 71 but had not played since New York.
“At one point I didn’t know what to do any more because the ball was coming so strong. I just thought that I have to be strong on the legs, to be there closer to the line,” Halep said in her post-match news conference.
“If I was going back, I did not have a chance to return the balls. Then I stepped into the court few times and I was more aggressive, which was really important. The serve helped me today. So I think in the big picture it was a good game.”
The Romanian has struggled for form and fitness since her first-round defeat at Flushing Meadows last August and came into the year’s first Grand Slam short of preparation after a back injury ended her 2018 season prematurely.
Halep was on a five-match losing streak prior to the match and had to make sure she kept her unforced errors to a minimum.
“I’m just happy that I could win, nothing else. Nothing else matters because I’m not at the highest level of my tennis,” Halep added. “I’m just trying to feel good on court and to improve day by day.”
She began on the back foot against her big-hitting opponent and after an early trade of break of serves, Halep had to save two set points to force a tiebreaker.
The 33-year-old Kanepi easily won the tiebreaker as the frustration started showing on Halep, who also exited the Australian Open in the first round in 2016 and 2017.
The second set also saw a trade of breaks before Halep found her range and started hitting her returns a little deeper as the unforced errors kept climbing for Kanepi.
The world number one levelled the match at one set apiece on her fourth set point after Kanepi sent a backhand long.
The 2018 French Open champion broke Kanepi twice in the final set and sealed the match when her opponent sent a forehand wide for her 62nd unforced error, compared with 19 from Halep.
Halep, who will next play American Sofia Kenin, said she was not putting any pressure on herself.
“Well, no expectations because I’m not at the highest level. But I’m motivated,” she said. “I’m trying to just enjoy more and be happy on court.
“I’m not putting pressure on myself any more with the results. But I’m still motivated. What comes now, it’s a bonus.”
Serena Williams wins on return to Melbourne
Serena Williams needed just 49 minutes to win her opening round match at Australian Open. (Source: Reuters)Serena Williams made a ruthless start to her quest for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title with a 6-0 6-2 victory over unseeded German Tatjana Maria in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday.
Playing her first Grand Slam since her infamous rant against the umpire at last year’s U.S. Open final, the 37-year-old Williams seemed to have decided to move on from last September’s incident that caused a furore across the world.
She was handed a warning by chair umpire Carlos Ramos for a on-court coaching violation before being deducted a point for smashing her racquet and later a game for a heated argument during her loss to Naomi Osaka.
Playing solo this time 😉 pic.twitter.com/hKa4pmTNSM
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) January 15, 2019
Her coach Patrick Mouratoglou told Reuters last week he expects on-court coaching to continue virtually unchecked at the Grand Slams despite the hue and cry over the issue.
But Williams refused to be drawn in.
“I, like, literally have no comment,” Williams, wearing a black T-shirt with the message ‘Until We All Win’ at her post-match news conference, said.
The seven-time Australian Open champion was eight weeks pregnant when she won the last of her 23 Grand Slam titles at Melbourne Park and returned to tennis last year after the birth of her daughter in September, 2017.
She has kept a low profile in Melbourne and did not appear before the media before the start of the Jan. 14-27 tournament but was enthusiastic to talk about topics more softer, like how her daughter’s black doll was named Qai Qai.
“Spending a lot of time with my daughter. I think that’s the priority for me. And I feel like literally every moment I get I practise, and then I go home,” she said.
“It’s kind of what I do in Florida. I train and I go right home and I spend the rest of the day with my daughter. For now, as a working mom, I feel guilty. And I understand that that’s normal, but — and these are years I’ll never get back.
“I just try to spend every moment that I can when I’m not working with her. And for me that’s super important.”
FIT AND STRONG
Williams showed on Tuesday she has lost none of her brutal power and athleticism in the match between the two mothers at Rod Laver Arena.
She peppered the court with her heavy groundstrokes and also advanced to the net whenever she had an opportunity, losing only 24 points against Maria and she concentrated on being consistent and cutting down on unforced errors.
“It was nice to be back out there. Last time I was out there was a great moment, especially internally for me, it was even a better moment,” she added. “I think it was a good match today.”
Williams finished the match in just 49 minutes on her second match point when Maria, who is also her neighbour, sent a backhand wide and the American will next play Canadian Eugenie Bouchard, who beat Peng Shuai of China 6-2 6-1.
“It will be a great match. She plays really well,” Williams said of Bouchard, who reached the Australian Open and French semi-finals and the Wimbledon final in 2014.
“She does everything well, and I really like that she doesn’t quit,” Williams said.
“You know, people write her off, and she doesn’t let that bother her. She continues to fight and do what she needs to do. I think that’s really not good.”
Venus Williams secures come-from-behind win
Melbourne: nited States’ Venus Williams celebrates after defeating Romania’s Mihaela Buzarnescu in their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. AP/PTI(AP1_15_2019_000161A)Venus Williams celebrated her 19th main draw appearance at the Australian Open with a come-from-behind 6-7(3) 7-6(3) 6-2 victory over 25th seed Mihaela Buzarnescu on Tuesday, marking a successful day for some of the sport’s oldest active competitors.
The 38-year-old, who is unseeded for the first time since 2014 and is the oldest player in the women’s draw, will meet France’s Alize Cornet in the second round.
It was a good day for some of the veterans of the sport after big serving 39-year-old Ivo Karlovic, the oldest male player, served his way into the second round against Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, a man 18 years his junior.
Title contender Roger Federer, aged 37, comfortably won his first round match on Monday.
Osaka clubs her way into Australian Open second round
Japan’s Naomi Osaka in action during the match against Poland’s Magda Linette. (Source: Reuters)Japan’s Naomi Osaka clubbed her way into the Australian Open second round by beating Poland’s Magda Linette 6-4 6-2 late on Tuesday.
It was Osaka’s first Grand Slam match since her breakthrough U.S. Open triumph last year, which was partly overshadowed by a row between her final opponent Serena Williams and umpire Carlos Ramos.
Osaka’s heavy ball striking makes it very difficult for opponents to trade blows with her.
“For me, I’m aware of people saying anyone in the top 10 can be No. 1 right now – but for me, that’s not really my goal,” Osaka, the fourth seed, told reporters.
“I just want to play well in this tournament.”
Linette tried to mitigate her rival’s power by standing up near the baseline during rallies to avoid getting pushed too far back.
The tactic worked in part, until the Polish player’s error count rose too quickly, such is the risk-reward for such a valiant ploy. “The balls were really heavy,” Linette told Reuters. “I’m just like 59 kilos, so what can I do?” Despite possessing more firepower in almost every facet of the game, Osaka’s modest-paced second serve allowed her 80th-ranked opponent a strong opening into baseline exchanges.
The two players’ average second serve speed was almost identical at around 125 kmh, which is significantly slower than the service speed of Williams, who is the standard bearer.
Osaka will play 21-year-old Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia in the second round.
