Wozniacki, Radwanska safely into third round

Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland returns the ball to Casey Dellacqua of Australia during their match at the Madrid Open in Madrid, Spain, yesterday.

AFP/MadridCaroline Wozniacki set up a third round meeting with Agnieszka Radwanska at the Madrid Open yesterday as her promising start to the clay court season continued with a 7-5, 6-0 win over American qualifier Christina McHale. The world number five reached the final in Stuttgart last month and had too much for McHale after battling back from 4-2 in the first set. Radwanska had an even more comfortable route into the last 16 as she needed just over an hour to dispose of Australian Casey Delacqua 6-2, 6-1. The Pole is playing her first tournament since ending an ill-fated four-month spell with 18-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova as her coach. Wozniacki leads the head-to-head between the pair 7-4, but this will be their first meeting on outdoor clay. There will also be a battle of former US Open champions in the last 16 as veterans Samantha Stosur and Svetlana Kuznetsova face off. Kuznetsova battled past home favourite Garbine Muguruza 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 after over two-and-a-half hours on court, whilst Stosur eased past Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi 6-3, 6-2. Big-serving Americans John Isner and Sam Querrey also booked their places into the second round of the men’s event on Monday. Isner overcame France’s Adrian Mannarino 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, whilst Querrey edged past Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3.