Sharapova, Halep Move On in Melbourne

January 19, 2015 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Maria_Sharapova (4)_0
Photo Credit: Calvin Rhoden

On a day that saw a number of seeded women bow out of the Australian Open, second-seeded Maria Sharapova and third-seeded Simona Halep displayed their dominance with convincing wins.

First up was Halep who quickly showed that she was over whatever stomach illness had caused her to withdraw from the Sydney International last week. The Romanian knocked off Italy’s Karin Knapp 6-3, 6-2 to move into Melbourne’s second-round.

Knapp actually broke early in the first set and held a 2-0 advantage over Halep before the Romanian seized control. Knapp’s game became sloppy as she hit 23 unforced errors to just three winners in the opening set. While Halep’s ratio wasn’t much better, she had six winners and 14 unforced errors, she broke Knapp three times in the first set to take it 6-3.

Halep broke four more times in the second set and looked extremely sharp on the baseline. Despite only hitting nine winners, she won 20 of 30 receiving points in the frame as she rolled to the straight set victory.

The win moves Halep to 6-0 so far in 2015. Up next for the Romanian is Australian Jarmila Gajdosova, who beat Halep’s compatriot Alexandra Dulgheru 6-3, 6-4 to move on.

“Obviously she’s been playing well. She’s number three in the world,” said Gajdosova of Halep. “But I’ve been playing what seems like all the Top 10ers the last three weeks, so it’s just another person on the other side of the net for me. I’m going to go and play the way I played today, the way I played last week, and I will fight and do my best, and we’ll see who comes out on top.”

Maria Sharapova played one of the later matches during the night session but faced no problem moving on with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Croatia’s Petra Martic. The Brisbane winner was tested by Martic in the opening set but pulled away in the second for the straight set win.

“Tonight I played an opponent who’s capable of playing very good tennis,” said a complimentary Sharapova. “She’s been injured a little bit, I believe, in the last year or so, but she can play. She’s got some big weapons. Against someone who has already played a few matches, I knew I had to be really strong.”

And really strong she was. Sharapova had an even ratio of 26 winners to 26 unforced errors but it was her return game that was the key. She won half of the points on Martic’s serve and added four break points, two in each set, to pull away.

The Russian moves on to the second-round and will take on compatriot Alexandra Panova, who ousted Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 7-5, 6-0.

Eugenie Bouchard reached the semifinals in Melbourne a year ago which propelled her into a star and the Canadian began her 2015 Australian Open campaign on the right foot Monday, upending Germany’s Anna-Lena Friedsman 6-2, 6-4.

“I knew I was going to be ready for someone kind of going for it, gunning for her shots, and that’s what happened,” said Bouchard. “You know, at this stage it’s about being ready for that. I know I was able to deal with it even when she was playing well. Whenever I had little chances I think I took them. Overall it was solid, I think.”

Bouchard hit 20 winners to just 17 unforced errors and won four break points in her one hour and 18 minute victory. She advances and will play the Netherlands’ Kiki Bertens next. Bertens edged Australian Daria Gavrilova in three sets.

American Alison Riske had a disappointing opening round result. The 24-year old from Pittsburgh fell to Oceane Dodin of France 6-7(5), 6-3, 3-6.

Click Here for all the results from Day 1 at the Australian Open. 


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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