Madrid: World No.1 Romanian Simona Halep kicked off her French Open preparations in style with a 6-1, 6-0 demolition of Ekaterina Makarova at the WTA Madrid Open tennis tournament here, Sunday. The top-seeded Romanian was brilliant with her ground strokes as she eased through to the next round conceding just 22 points to her opponent in the match.
Also advancing was second seed Caroline Wozniacki, a 6-3, 6-1 winner against Aussie Daria Gavrilova in a match that lasted 71 minutes. “I think I was in my rhythm in the second set and I struggled a bit initially in the first,” the Dane said after her win.
Meanwhile in matches played Saturday, French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko’s preparations in the run-up to the clay court Major hit the skids in the first round as she was beaten 3-6, 3-6 by unseeded Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu.
If the 20-year-old Ostapenko harbours any hopes of repeating that run in Paris later this month, she will have to make a vast improvement on Saturday’s error-filled performance.
Joining her at the exit was American Venus Williams, a runner-up in Madrid in 2010. She was beaten 6-3, 3-6, 2-6 by Estonian Anett Kontaveit.
World No.4 Elina Svitolina and former World No.1 Karolina Pliskova, however, eased to victories.
Ukrainian Svitolina, the fourth seed, struck 28 winners and lost her serve just once as she brushed Frenchwoman Alize Cornet aside for a 6-2, 6-2 victory.
Sixth seed Pliskova, coming off a Stuttgart Open title win last month, extended her winning run to six matches after striking 29 winners and seven aces to sweep past Elena Vesnina 6-4, 6-2.
“I think I could play much better. Some parts were good, but my concentration was up and down,” Pliskova said.
Sousa in final
Meanwhile at Estoril in Portugal local favourite Joao Sousa scored a popular victory, beating Greek teenager Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7/4) to reach the final of the Estoril Open. He is the first local since Federico Gil in 2010 to make the home final.
Sousa will be aiming for his first trophy since winning at Valencia in 2015 when he plays American Frances Tiafoe, who upset second-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta 6-2, 6-3 in their semifinal.
Title for Mertens
Belgian Elise Mertens extended her winning streak Saturday to 12 matches by beating Australian Ajla Tomljanovic 6-2, 7-6(7-4) in the final of the Rabat Grand Prix tennis tournament at Morocco.
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