(August 20, 2018) Three-time champion Petra Kvitova is through to the second round of the Connecticut Open after triumphing in a tricky first-round encounter against 2016 winner Agnieszka Radwanska.
The Czech World No.5, making her eighth appearance in New Haven, raced through the first set and, despite a fightback from Radwanska in the second, set up a clash with qualifier Zarina Diyas on Wednesday.
Russian Ekaterina Makarova is also through to the second round after pulling off a resounding 6-1, 6-3 victory over No.4 seed Karolina Pliskova on Monday.
The world No.49 converted on all three break-point opportunities to land her fourth victory from five meetings with the former No.1.
“She’s a very tough opponent. She’s a big server,” Makarova said. “It’s very important to be focused on your serve and hold it aggressively and it was working today so I was very happy to get through.”
Makarova had landed a trifecta of three-set victories, including one over Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki, to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon last month before turning her focus to the North American hard-court swing. She will next meet Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova.
“She’s another good player and she’s a different style,” Makarova said. “[She] likes to mix up everything, slicing, spinning different shots. It’s important to stay with my game, stay solid and we’ll see what happens.”
Brit Johanna Konta earlier advanced to the second round after surviving a late surge from German Laura Siegemund. Four years after bowing out quietly in qualifying, Konta made her New Haven main draw debut with a 6-2, 7-5 victory.
Konta’s win sets a second-round clash with former world No.6 Carla Suarez Navarro after the Spaniard’s upset of No.8 seed Barbora Strycova on Sunday.
Despite letting a 3-1 second-set lead slip against Siegemund, Konta closed out the result at the one hour, 46-minute mark to pick up her first win in three attempts against the German.
Konta handed Serena Williams the worst defeat of her career only a matter of weeks ago in San Jose in her most impressive win of a difficult season.
Ukrainian teenager Dayana Yastremska knocked out the last remaining American hope with a 6-0, 6-3 trouncing of wild card Danielle Collins. The 18-year-old qualifer, ranked No.104, set a second-round meeting with German No.5 seed Julia Goerges.
Results – Monday, Aug 20
Women’s Singles
First Round
[3] P. Kvitova (CZE) d A. Radwanska (POL) 61 76(3)
E. Makarova (RUS) d [4] [WC] Ka. Pliskova (CZE) 61 63
[Q] C. Giorgi (ITA) d [Q] A. Bogdan (ROU) 63 62
A. Sabalenka (BLR) d [LL] S. Stosur (AUS) 63 62
[Q] D. Yastremska (UKR) d [WC] D. Collins (USA) 60 63
J. Konta (GBR) d L. Siegemund (GER) 62 75
[Q] Z. Diyas (KAZ) d M. Sakkari (GRE) 64 63
[Q] M. Puig (PUR) d T. Bacsinszky (SUI) 75 61
[Q] A. Sasnovich (BLR) d K. Mladenovic (FRA) 76(6) 67(3) 62
Women’s Doubles
First Round
[1] A. Sestini Hlavackova (CZE) / B. Strycova (CZE) d S. Aoyama (JPN) / L. Marozava (BLR) 62 61
[WC] Ka. Pliskova (CZE) / Kr. Pliskova (CZE) d [Alt] K. Flipkens (BEL) / A. Van Uytvanck (BEL) 67(4) 64 10-6
Schedule – Tuesday, Aug 21
STADIUM start 12:00 noon
[7] K. Bertens (NED) vs A. Kontaveit (EST)
[LL] B. Bencic (SUI) vs [Q] C. Giorgi (ITA)
C. Suárez Navarro (ESP) vs J. Konta (GBR)
Not Before 7:00 pm
[Q] A. Sasnovich (BLR) vs [2] C. Garcia (FRA)
[Q] D. Yastremska (UKR) vs [5] J. Goerges (GER)
SPORTMASTER GRANDSTAND start 12:00 noon
S. Hsieh (TPE) / L. Siegemund (GER) vs [WC] D. Krawczyk (USA) / S. Vickery (USA)
N. Kichenok (UKR) / An. Rodionova (AUS) vs [4] I. Begu (ROU) / M. Niculescu (ROU)
L. Arruabarrena (ESP) / L. Kichenok (UKR) vs [2] D. Schuurs (NED) / K. Srebotnik (SLO)
