Published By: Ritayan Basu
Last Updated: August 10, 2023, 07:58 IST
Caroline Wozniacki at National Bank Open in Montreal (AP)
Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova halted Caroline Wozniacki’s comeback in its tracks at the WTA Montreal Open on Wednesday, ousting the former world number one in straight sets.
Wozniacki had returned with a bang from a more than three-year layoff on Tuesday, winning 6-2, 6-2 against 115th ranked Kimberly Birrell.
But the 33-year-old Danish star found Vondrousova a tougher proposition, with the ninth seed claiming a 6-2, 7-5 victory to set up a last 16 clash with Coco Gauff.
Vondrousova looked to be motoring towards a brisk victory after taking a 6-2, 3-0 lead over Wozniacki.
Vondrousova then had a point for a 4-0 lead but doubled faulted twice to let Wozniacki off the hook.
The veteran then rallied brilliantly to take a 4-3 lead and had a break point in the eighth game for a 5-3 lead.
Vondrousova however held for 4-4 and then earned a break for a 6-5 lead before serving to love to seal victory.
Elsewhere on Wednesday, world number one Iga Swiatek entered the competition with an opening 7-6 (8/6), 6-2 win over Karolina Pliskova.
The victory left reigning US Open champion Swiatek needing victory over Karolina Muchova on Thursday to ensure she will hold on to the number one ranking for a 72nd week.
Her clash with the Czech Republic’s Muchova on Thursday is a rematch of the duo’s three-set battle in the French Open final earlier this year, won by Swiatek.
“It’s nice to have some challenges and overcome them,” Swiatek after Wednesday’s win. “It wasn’t an easy first round, but I’m happy that I stayed solid, and I could close it in the first set.”
Swiatek, who entered the tournament fresh from a victory in Warsaw last month, is now relishing another duel with Muchova.
“We have to be ready for the next match and kind of expect that anything can happen because tennis can be pretty unpredictable,” Swiatek said.
“You know, one player can have a bad day. At the same time the other one can play the best tennis of their life.”
In other games on Wednesday, 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina finally closed out victory over Jennifer Brady in a match that had started on Tuesday before being halted.
Rybakina, seeded three, edged past the returning Brady 6-7(3/7), 7-6(7/5), 6-3 and will now face unseeded Sloane Stephens of the United States in the last 16.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – AFP)
भारत के स्टार ऑफ स्पिनर रविचंद्रन अश्विन ने न्यूजीलैंड के खिलाफ तीसरे टेस्ट के दूसरे…
मुंबई: शाहरुख खान के जन्मदिन की शानदार दावत में, 'फौजी 2' के निर्माताओं ने एक…
भारत ने शनिवार को कनाडा पर अपने वाणिज्य दूतावास के कर्मचारियों को 'उत्पीड़न और धमकी'…
नई दिल्ली. अगर आप इन दिनों नए हार्डवेयर की सोच रहे हैं और बाजार या…
पेंशनभोगियों के लिए जीवन प्रमाणपत्र ऑनलाइन: कार्मिक, लोक शिकायत और पेंशन मंत्रालय ने कहा कि…
आखरी अपडेट:02 नवंबर, 2024, 19:09 ISTशाइना ने राकांपा (सपा) की सुप्रिया सुले और सेना (यूबीटी)…