Ostapenko, Garcia progress in Adelaide but Vondrousova out injured
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Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko beat Romania's Sorana Cirstea in three sets at the Adelaide International.
PHOTO: AFP
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ADELAIDE – Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova pulled out of the Adelaide International with a hip injury on Jan 9 just days before the Australian Open, as Jelena Ostapenko set up a clash against Caroline Garcia.
Czech world No. 7 Vondrousova began her season at the United Cup, beating Serbia’s Olga Danilovic and losing to China’s Zheng Qinwen.
She was seeded third in Adelaide and due to play her first-round match on Jan 9 evening. But the WTA said she had withdrawn, citing a hip injury. It was not clear how serious the problem was.
Former French Open winner Ostapenko, the Latvian sixth seed and world No. 12, needed three sets to get past Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.
She lost serve twice in the first set before finding her game.
“I was sleeping in the first set, I’m not really a morning person,” she said after her 9am start at Memorial Drive. “It took me time to wake up and get into the match. I’m glad I managed to win it.”
Ostapenko recovered to win six games out of seven and reach 3-1 in the final set.
“I like to play in Australia,” the 2023 Australian Open quarter-finalist added. “Conditions are good for me. Sometimes I get too worked up but then I calm down and play better.”
She will next play former world No. 4 Garcia, now ranked 20th, who also avoided an upset, coming from a break down in the final set to defeat Australian wildcard Taylah Preston 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.
Germany’s Laura Siegemund, part of the country’s winning United Cup team, dismissed seventh seed Liudmila Samsonova 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 6-4.
Eighth seed Veronika Kudermetova also progressed, but former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova lost 6-2, 6-1 to qualifier Katerina Siniakova in an all-Czech encounter.
At the Hobart International, 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin swept past Belgium’s Greet Minnen 6-3, 6-3.
But former US Open winner Sloane Stephens crashed out at the first hurdle to China’s Yuan Yue 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5).
“I’m very happy and excited to win,” said a beaming Yuan.
“She’s a Grand Slam champion. I’d (often) watch her play on TV. I’m happy to be here (playing against her).”
In men’s tennis, rising star Arthur Fils beat fellow Frenchman Richard Gasquet at the Auckland Classic to end the veteran’s run of more than 18 years in the world’s top 100.
The 19-year-old Fils cruised to a 6-3, 6-4 victory against the 37-year-old Gasquet, who had enjoyed a remarkable 956 consecutive weeks in the top 100, peaking at No. 7 in July 2007.
Gasquet was defending the Auckland title and points he won 12 months ago, so the first-round defeat will see him slide down from 76th in the world when new rankings are released next week.
“He’s a great champion. He has an unbelievable career so I’m really happy to play on the court with him,” said Fils, who reached the quarter-finals of the Hong Kong Open last week. AFP, REUTERS
