Victoria Azarenka and Karolina Pliskova slog way into second round of rainy Canadian Open

MONTREAL – Former world No. 1s Victoria Azarenka and Karolina Pliskova brushed aside long rain delays and first-round opponents to advance on a soggy opening day at the Canadian Open in Montreal on Monday.

In the first match on centre court, Azarenka and Magda Linette twice had play halted before the 16th-seeded Belarusian finally prevailed 6-3, 6-0 in a contest that took nearly five hours to complete.

Azarenka was unfazed by the rain, charging ahead 5-2 in the opening set before closing it out with a break just before play was stopped a second time.

Returning to the court three hours later, Azarenka was taking no chances of another delay. She romped through the second set, winning 24 of 31 points and breaking Poland’s Linette three times.

The 34-year-old Azarenka will next take on American Sloane Stephens, who overcame Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).

Pliskova wobbled out of a second-set rain delay, losing the tiebreak but recovered to dispose of China’s Zhu Lin 6-3, 6-7 (10-8), 6-2 to register just her second match win in her last six events going back to April in Stuttgart.

Pliskova, who parted ways with coach Sascha Bajin two weeks ago, easily took the opening set and had looked headed for a straight-forward victory before Zhu fought off two match points and rain halted play with the tie-break deadlocked at 8-8.

When play restarted, Zhu pounced, winning two points to clinch the tiebreak 10-8.

The 31-year-old Czech quickly refocused in the decider, applying pressure and breaking Zhu thrice to move on to the second round and a meeting with Polish world No. 1 and reigning US Open champion Iga Swiatek.

“I was kind of ready for both situations because it’s 8-8, so it can just be like two quick points, so you have to be ready that you are going to lose them as well,” Pliskova said.

“Of course, it’s tough because you kind of are so close to the win, and then you just start from zero going in the third set, but there’s nothing you can do. You have to still be there and fight.”

Swiatek arrives in Canada riding the momentum from a victory at her home tournament the Warsaw Open, but fighting to fend off a challenge from Aryna Sabalenka, who can take over the top spot in the rankings with a win in Montreal and if the Pole exits before the quarter-finals.

In the evening session, American Madison Keys got the better of her veteran compatriot Venus Williams 6-2, 7-5. Meanwhile, Spaniard Paula Badosa withdrew due to a back injury.

In the men’s draw, Milos Raonic showed that the mighty serve that lifted him to tennis’ upper echelons is still firing after a two-year injury layoff as the Canadian downed Frances Tiafoe 6-7 (12-14), 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 in the first round of his home tournament in Toronto on Monday.

Raonic, a former world No. 3 who returned to the tour in June, crushed his 37th ace on match point in front of an adoring crowd and set up a meeting with Japan’s Toro Daniel.

“Two years away, five years from playing in Toronto, a whole four years since I got to play in front of my parents, who were there for the majority of my matches as a junior and as a pro,” Raonic said.

“All of these things came together for a great night for me.”

Meanwhile, Frenchman Gael Monfils put on an impressive display of speed and skill to beat American Christopher Eubanks 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (4-7), 6-1 and advance to the second round. REUTERS