World number nine Kiki Bertens overcame a sluggish start to beat American lucky loser Bernarda Pera 7-5, 6-4 and reach the second round of the Sydney International yesterday. Pera, who benefited from Briton Johanna Konta’s withdrawal, started on the front foot by breaking her Dutch opponent in the opening game.
The 24-year-old more than held her own and earned an opportunity to close out the first set at 5-4, before Bertens switched gears to draw level. Another break in the 12th game saw Bertens clinch the opening set. Bertens let two match points go at 5-4 in the second but she would not be denied as Pera served a double fault to concede the match after an hour and 45 minutes.
Seventh seed Bertens, who has never progressed beyond third round in six Australian Open appearances, will look to step up her preparations for next week’s Grand Slam at Melbourne Park with a second round meeting with Garbine Muguruza. Two-time Grand Slam winner Muguruza eased past fellow Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-3, 6-4.
In the men’s draw, local favourite Alex de Minaur, who reached his first Tour final in Sydney last year, made a winning return to Ken Rosewall Arena, beating Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 6-3. The Australian number one said it would be a dream to lift his first career title this week in his hometown.
“Honestly it would be like a dream come true, but we are still far away from that,” he said. De Minaur will meet American qualifier Reilly Opelka for a place in the quarter-finals. Opelka powered past Spain’s Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-3, 6-4, firing 16 aces and dropping just eight points on serve.
Results (x denotes seed):
1st round Men: Sam Querrey (USA) bt Malek Jaziri (TUN) 6-1, 4-1 ret; Reilly Opelka (USA) bt Albert Ramos (ESP) 6-3, 6-4; Alex De Minaur (AUS x5) bt Dusan Lajovic (SRB) 6-4, 6-3; Guido Andreozzi (ARG) bt Matthew Ebden (AUS) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
1st round Women: Kiki Bertens (NED x7) bt Bernarda Pera (USA) 7-5, 6-4; Camila Giorgi (ITA) bt Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) 6-3, 6-3; Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) bt Daria Gavrilova (AUS) 6-1, 7-6 (7/4); Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) bt Anastasija Sevastova (LAT x9) 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-4; Samantha Stosur (AUS) bt Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Monfils pulls out,
Shapovalov beaten in Auckland
Gael Monfils became the third big name to pull out of the ATP Auckland Classic yesterday sidelined by injury while seventh seed Denis Shapovalov was bundled out in three sets. Monfils, the eighth seed, said he was hampered by a niggling pain in the leg.
His withdrawal followed the absence of top seeds Tomas Berdych and Roberto Bautista-Agut, who both pulled out after contesting the Qatar Open final on Saturday which Bautista Agut won 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. The flamboyant Monfils said his injury flared Saturday and had not responded to treatment.
“I have had a pain for two days with my quadriceps and unfortunately I am not able to play the tournament,” he said. “So I’m disappointed about the situation I’ve put myself and the tournament through, because obviously this year is tough because they’ve had a couple of retirements.”
Shapovalov, the 19-year-old Canadian and only seed in action on day one, romped through the first set against Portugal’s Joao Sousa, but went off the boil for most of the second set.
The third set went with serve until 3-3 when Sousa made the vital break and then held on to win the error-filled match.
“The first tournament of the year is not easy,” Sousa said of the below par performance. For sure it was not his best day, me neither, but this is tennis, you try your best with what your have and I made it.”
In the reshuffled draw, John Isner takes over as top seed and goes straight through to the second round to play fellow American Taylor Fritz. Fritz, who opened with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Romanian Marius Copil 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, has lost his two previous matches against Isner.
Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber continued his phenomenal run in Auckland when the 35-year-old defeated American Bradley Klahn 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) to move through to the second round for the 11th time in 12 years. In other action, German Jan-Lennard Struff won his first set 7-6 (7/5) against Laslo Djere and led 2-0 in the second when the Serbian retired. Tennys Sandgren raced through his opening singles 6-3, 6-4 against qualifier Mackenzie McDonald and will face third seed Marco Cecchinato in round two.
Results
1st round: Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) bt Bradley Klahn (USA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/2); Cameron Norrie (GBR) bt Benoit Paire (FRA) 6-3, 6-2; Joao Sousa (POR) bt Denis Shapovalov (CAN x7) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 ; Taylor Fritz (USA) bt Marius Copil (ROU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Laslo Djere (SRB) 7-6 (7/5), 2-0 rtd; Tennys Sandgren (USA) bt Maximilian Marterer (GER) 6-3, 6-4; Matteo Berrettini (ITA) bt Mackenzie McDonald (USA) 6-3, 6-4
Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan hits a forehand return against Daria Gavrilova of Australia during the first round match at the Sydney International tournament. (AFP)
