Melbourne: Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza refused to blame her heat-blistered feet as she became the biggest casualty in the women’s singles of the Australian Open here, Thursday. In another upset, American Bernarda Pera showed British ninth seed Johanna Konta the door with a 6-4, 7-5 triumph.
The third seed, whose preparation was hampered by a thigh injury, was always trailing against the 88-ranked Hsieh Su-wei from Taiwan before being edged out 6-7(1/7), 4-6 in 110 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
“I maybe could have done things better, but at the end, she deserves to win. That’s really it,” Muguruza told reporters.
Muguruza struggled from the start to keep pace with the tenacious 32-year-old. At 2-5, she looked briefly rejuvenated after having a medical timeout. She then broke back twice but Hsieh ran away with the tie-break 7-1. Muguruza saved a first match point in the second set to get back to 5-4 but Hsieh made no mistake in the next game.
Meanwhile former World No. 1 Angelique Kerber celebrated her 30th birthday here with an emphatic 6-4, 6-1 win over Donna Vekic to set up an intriguing third round clash of former champions with Maria Sharapova. The Russian beat her US Open nemesis Anastasija Sevastova 6-1, 7-6(7-4). In another match World No.1 Simona Halep had no problems in disposing of Eugenie Bouchard 6-2, 6-2.
In scorching conditions at Margaret Court Arena, Kerber gave 52nd-ranked Vekic the run-around with a series of deft drop-shots and closed out the one-sided match with a confident cross-court smash. Then she gracefully accepted the birthday serenade that flowed from the stands. “It’s just amazing how the time is flying,” said Kerber, who struggled for form through a difficult 2017 season. “I’m feeling good, it’s good to win today, of course, on my birthday.”
For Sharapova, it was a case of revenge being served hot as she fended off Sevastova under a blazing sun to reach the third round.
The crafty Latvian had knocked Sharapova out of the fourth round at Flushing Meadows last year during the Russian’s return to Grand Slam action after a 15-month doping ban.
But then it was a different Sharapova altogether. She burst out of the blocks winning the first set in 23 minutes hitting a hail of winners. Although the next set was a ‘little dicey’, the Russian managed to close it and beat a hasty retreat from the broiling conditions.
Other results
Madison Keys bt Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-0, 6-1
A Radwanska bt Lesia Tsurenko 2-6, 7-5, 6-3
Barbora Strycova bt V Arrubarrena 6-3, 6-4
Naomi Osaka bt Elena Vesnina 7-6, 6-2
Agencies
