Azarenka, Keys Push Through to Aussie Third Round
Victoria Azarenka blasted her way into the third round in Melbourne, rolling past Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic 6-1, 6-2 as the 14th seed Belorussian continues her blistering start to the 2016 season.
“I really don’t count the games,” said Azarenka, who has dropped just 20 games in 2016. “What works for me is to stay in the moment. I enjoy my time on the court and play every point like it’s my last. I just want to enjoy the journey. Right now, I just can’t wait to be out here again.”
Azarenka committed just nine unforced errors while hitting 19 winners, breaking five times in 10 chances to cruise in just over an hour.
In the third round, Azarenka will take on the unseeded Naomi Osaka of Japan, who upset 18th seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-4.
“I never feel pressure from playing someone that’s supposed to be better than me,” the Japanese teenager said of facing Azarenka. “I’m just going to go in there happy and hopefully try to pull off an upset.”
American Madison Keys hung on to beat Kazakhstan’s Yaroslav Svhedova 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3 and reach the third round.
“Today was a tough one,” said Keys. “I had to really figure some things out. It was definitely more mental than physical for me. I had to win without everything being perfect, so I’ll take that.”
The 15th seed Keys will square off with 20th seed Ana Ivanovic of Serbia. Ivanovic looked impressive yet again in her 6-3, 6-3 win over Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova to reach the third round, a year after a broken toe effected her play in a first round defeat.
“I tried to work on my fitness during the offseason; that needed improvement after last season,” said Ivanovic. “I hired a new fitness coach, so it’s been really great. We did a lot of prevention work for injuries, and fitness and on-court work.”
Spain’s Garbine Muguruza powered into the third round with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens, hitting 23 winners in the process.
“I’m extremely happy after today,” said Muguruza. “Kirsten is a very difficult opponent with a unique game, so I’m very happy to be in the third round.”
Waiting for Muguruza in the third round is the Czech Republic’s Barbora Strycova, who ousted American Vania King 7-6(5), 6-4.
The Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova powered past Germany’s Julia Goerges 7-6(5), 6-1 to reach the third round. The ninth-seed hit 13 aces and took advantage of 37 unforced errors from Goerges to win in straight sets.
Pliskova will take on Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova next. A semifinalist last year, Makarova downed Tatjana Maria of Germany 6-4, 6-2 to book her spot in the third round.
In the final match of the second round, Germany’s Angelique Kerber downed Romanian Alexandra Dulgheru 6-2, 6-4 to advance. Kerber needed just one hour and 13 minutes to move past Dulgheru, and set up a matchup with American Madison Brengle, who hung on to beat Sweden’s Johanna Larsson 7-5, 4-6, 6-1.
Rounding out the rest of Thursday’s matches: Annika Beck beat 11th seed Timea Bacsinszky, Laura Siegemund defeated 19th seed Jelena Jankovic, Denisa Allertova knocked off 30th seed Sabine Lisicki, Shuai Zhang beat Alize Cornet, Johanna Konta beat Saisai Zheng and Varvara Lepchenko ousted Lara Arruabarrena.
