Ostapenko edges Kovinic in straight sets at Gippsland Trophy

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Jelena Ostapenko battled back problems that were on the verge of overflowing but came through at the Gippsland Trophy Monday. The Latvian held firm in the late stages of each set against Danka Kovnic winning 6-4, 7-5 on court five at Melbourne Park. 

The Latvian pushed herself to get the win against Sara Errani Sunday using aggression and anger to force the match to three sets and dictate well. Despite having eight double faults, Ostapenko kept them low in third during her dominant statement to the Italian. This marked their fourth meeting with the 13th seed beating her at Indian Wells for her second over the Montenegrin. With such ferocity from her end, bringing it once more against Kovnic would put her in a strong position to progress further. 

Ostapenko opened the match with that very position, breaking Kovinic apart on deuce. She went on two add a serve to love to consolidate before the Montenegrin got on the board with a serve to love of her own. The Latvian made a move that spelled real trouble for the 26-year-old. The 13th seed rallied in the fourth with her second shutout, taking the next pair of games. With a 5-1 stance, Ostapenko tried to go for the break to take the set but Kovinic had other plans. 

She held in the seventh before taking the Latvian on a struggling ride of holding serve in the next game. Kovinic boiled the frustration in her opponent, who knew that letting her focus get out of control was not the order of the set. Ostapenko regrouped, biding her time through the loss of ground until the tenth brought her to victory. She clipped the first down in 35 minutes with a second set point attempt that gave her the 6-4 score. 

When the second started, Kovinic opened with a serve to love and followed things up with a break of Ostapenko. Just when it looked as if some momentum was building in the Montenegrin, she committed her fourth double fault that led to a break back for the Latvian. The 13th seed evened the score at two-all before finding a break that took three breaks of deuce to get it done. 

Ostapenko consolidated the break with a hold in the sixth, closing in on the match with her momentum. She continued to battle Kovinic who was under trouble in the seventh, fighting to keep the hold of serve. A winner on the first break made it 4-3, back within touch of the Latvian. The eighth was a heavy fight for Ostapenko as she dug in to make sure she’d win at all costs. The two got to deuce where it took four break and 14 total points to make her the winner. 

Kovinic served to stay alive in the match, getting help from the 13th seed who put too much on the returns. The Montenegrin let a point get away but held the ninth, hoping that she could extend the set further. Ostapenko assisted in that feat, recording her seventh and eighth double faults that gave Kovinic the break. The 13th seed broke back at a critical point, putting the ball in her hands to serve out the match. 

In the 12th, Ostapenko scored her seventh ace before a wide return from Kovinic brought up match point for the 23-year-old. She put it away with a winner nailing the line to end her second round in 1 hour and 31 minutes. With her serve at 81 percent and scoring on nearly two-thirds, the 13th seed got herself into a great place with her problems on serve not becoming overwhelming. She’d try to keep up the positivity against third-seeded Elina Svitolina in the round of 16.

Svitolina notches strong straight sets win at Gippsland Trophy

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Elina Svitolina found her way to a comfortable finish in her start of the Gippsland Trophy Monday. The third seed played her best tennis of 2021 against Andrea Petkovic, who ran into trouble in her game falling 6-1, 6-4 on court 1573 Arena at Melbourne Park. It was the first win against the German since the Rio Olympics and one that she’ll no doubt build upon. 

In their fifth meeting, it would be another clash between the two stars, with Petkovic always testing the Ukrainian. In their only meeting last season, the German controlled well early before being pressed in the second set where a tiebreak was in her hands. Svitolina had a decent run in Abu Dhabi, but her game was challenged in every match, with her trailing the opposition. While she had more time on the court in matches than Petkovic, the world number five had to be at her best or see another tournament get out of hand. 

She served first to open the set, but found herself tight at first. Petkovic worked herself into threatening for the break but the Ukrainian rallied back forcing deuce. From there they went six breaks, with the German missing key moments to take the game. Svitolina locked it down in ten minutes while her 33-year-old opponent took just three to level the set with a win. The third seed coasted to perfect service in the third before watching her opponent slip up. A double fault set up Svitolina for a shutout, which came on one last error from Petkovic in the fourth. 

The 26-year-old continued to play knockout tennis as she accumulated the last 9 of 10 points, widening the gap on Petkovic. The German committed her third double fault on serve in the sixth, leading her to another shutout and Svitolina serving for the set. Giving up just one point in the seventh, the third seed closed out 29 minutes in spectacular fashion, blasting the forehand for an easy victory. She had 11 winners and five unforced errors that rocked the 33-year-old who cooked too many shots and committed double faults. 

In an attempt to make up for her early mistakes, Petkovic came out blazing into the second set with a strong service hold. The Ukrainian ticked off another service game, scoring her fourth ace of the match. Petkovic answered with a serve to love, showing control with her forehand that at times beat Svitolina to the chase. The third seed later earned her moment forcing Petkovic to trail and fight through every game. 

She managed to break back in the sixth, evening the score with Svitolina. The breaks of service continued between the two, with Petkovic matching the third seed for the fourth time. As they closed into the tail end of the set, Petkovic suffered a double fault that ruined her chance at holding service. The Ukrainian opened the door to counteract taking a 5-4 lead. Despite falling behind on serve, an ace assisted her in reaching the match point. Svitolina capped her day with a fifth ace to win in one hour and nine minutes.

Panthers stay ahead of Red Wings to win 3-2

Patric Hornqvist #70 of the Florida Panthers scores a second period goal on Thomas Greiss #29 of the Detroit Red Wings during an NHL game at Little Caesars Arena on January 31, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images)

Detroit couldn’t catch a break at home as they were once again foiled out of a win at Little Caesars Arena Sunday. The Florida Panthers played hard through sixty minutes edging the Red Wings 3-2. 

The Red Wings started late in their push Saturday against the Panthers, but couldn’t add another goal after tying them through the rest of the game. Anthony Mantha made his mark that woke up the offense, despite only coming up with a point. In their second meeting, the Red Wings vied for consistency before going back on the road. Taro Hirose played well earning himself two points in the previous game, hoping to notch a few more that could make a difference in their final result. 

Detroit gained a quick power-play where a stop by Chris Driedger got loose and nearly across the line. He somehow got on top of the puck with his body to stop play, getting out of danger. Detroit’s special teams got a few more at the Florida net but came up short. They already had three shots on goal, giving the indication that something was close to occurring. A good play between Givani Smith and captain Dylan Larkin ended with the leader snap shooting one short for his fourth of the season. 

During the play, Florida suffered another penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving another power play to Detroit. It came and went but did increase shots on goal with them up 10-12 midway through the period. At 11:41, they handed Florida a chance to level on the man advantage. The Panthers had a couple of scoring chances with second tries but the Red Wings were on top of them to kill off the two minutes. 

Florida increased the shots on goal during a second power play but failed to convert a goal to tie the game. The period came to a close with Detroit outshooting Florida 13-6 with both delivering five hits to one another. 

The Panthers were on the verge of tying the game going into the second period with Detroit giving them a third opportunity on the power play. Detroit’s Michael Rasmussen smashed MacKenzie Weegar into the boards and was roughed by Aaron Ekblad in response. The two went to the penalty box with the Panthers gaining an advantage. At 2:03, Patric Hornqvist got the power-play goal earning his fifth of the season making it a game for his teammates. 

Florida’s fourth power-play gave them the lead at 15:04, this time with Hornqvist screening Detroit goaltender Thomas Greiss. A one-timer for Ekblad went to the side of Griess who didn’t see it coming, handing the defenseman his second. The Panthers overtook the Red Wings on shots on the net as they found the speed and toughness to dictate well through 40 minutes shooting 18 to Detroit’s nine. 

The Red Wings tried to pick up the pace and keep with the Panthers who were not letting up on offensive power. For eight minutes, the teams took scoring chances but couldn’t put one behind the net. Florida bided their time and on a delayed penalty to Detroit, Aleksander Barkov set up a drive. He fired a shot toward Griess that went off the back of the stick of teammate Carter Verhaeghe to make 3-1 and hand the centerman his fifth. 

Time was just another foe of Detroit’s as they faced a big margin with little left on the clock. With three minutes to go, they went for the empty net, but six attackers didn’t help them close the gap. Florida continued to block the lanes for the Red Wings to produce scoring chances at the net. Mantha somehow found a way to outduel Driedger as play in front of him took his attention away from the scorer to his left. Mantha picked up his third with 1:48 left on the clock. Florida got back on track and handled the six attackers as they were hungry to even up before the horn. 

The Panthers killed off a minute, leaving Detroit with 47 seconds to make it happen. The Panthers blocked shots helped them out immensely while pushing the puck out of their zone. Detroit had the faceoff with four seconds left in the Florida zone, but a blocked shot by Driedger clinched the victory that finished the Panthers strong in Detroit.

Stars outshine Red Wings

Denis Gurianov #34, Andrew Cogliano #11 and the Dallas Stars celebrate a goal against the Detroit Red Wings at the American Airlines Center on January 28, 2021 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Dallas Stars made the Red Wings pay dearly for their mistakes at American Airlines Arena Thursday night. A battle through most of the game turned into a slaughter as the Stars ran away with a 7-3 win. 

Detroit vied for success at the tail end of their road trip facing Dallas for one more. Their loss Tuesday in overtime remained sour aside from gaining a point. Their 2-4-1 record was not yet showing strength as a few of Detroit’s best stayed quiet on the offense. Anthony Mantha was the most hungry on the ice, taking shots since the season began without a goal. Dallas hadn’t lost a game in three matches and hold the best record on the powerplay in the NHL. With a new goaltender making his debut for the Stars, Detroit had to find goals coming from their best in the lineup to make the statement. 

Dallas responded quickly from the opening faceoff, taking their shots on Jonathan Bernier who stood in net for Detroit. For the first half of the period, they gave it all in the Detroit zone with the Red Wings struggling to get at Stars netminder Jake Oettinger. They were stopped with a penalty going against them, adding fuel to the fire for Dallas. They went heavily in the Detroit end but the PK did enough to clear out the puck, kill time, and the two-minute advantage. 

When even-strength came back into action, the Stars used more physical strength to fight for control of the puck. At 11:36, Tanner Kero made a block near the boards and skated away with the ice, heading towards Bernier. He suddenly made a quick pass to Joe Pavelski, who one-timed the puck behind the Red Wings goalie to strike his fourth of the season. It was a big mistake for Detroit but they caught a break with a power play in their favor. 

Detroit negated the precious time with a penalty from their end in return but gained another chance to make up for lost chances. Nothing came of it as the Dallas PK worked through the time down a man and brought things back to five on five play. Detroit was awarded another power play with 14 seconds left and finished the first-period silent. They were outshot 11-5 and had only one scoring chance to Dallas’s five which produced the opening lead. 

 Nothing came of the remaining time Detroit had on the power play but were given another chance to make something happen. It was their second full power play against the Stars but despite trying to get a shot to go through, none got in the back of the net. The Stars forecheck and added pressure gave the team another leg up on the score. A loose puck that got away from Bernier to his left allowed Andrew Cogliano to earn credit for his first goal. 

 Dallas had half the game under their control with Detroit having fired two shots through the midway point of the second. Mantha found a point to make something happen for himself but came up short on a drive. Detroit still held onto possession until a drive from the blue line by Troy Stetcher. His shot was blocked with Mantha getting another try. When his opportunity got blocked, it came to Valtteri Filppula who had an open window, scoring his first of the season while getting Detroit into the game. 

At 14:45 Dallas scored on a loose puck in the neutral zone with Denis Gurlanov getting to it. He skated in another to take a shot that traveled across the line and into the net before Mantha and Bernier crashed into one another dislodging the net. Officials went back to see if the puck already cross before the dislodge occurred. It was determined, the goal was indeed good giving Gurlanov his third. 

The Red Wings spent the remainder of the period chasing down Dallas who wanted to make sure they came out of their arena the true winners. When the horn sounded ending 40 minutes, the Stars outshot Detroit 8-7 and doubled the scoring chances from the first period. 

As the third period got underway, Thomas Griess came in due to an injury suffered to Bernier. It didn’t take anything away from Dallas who continued to play on point and bring pressure to him and the Red Wings. They made it 4-1 with Jamie Oleksiak earning his first on a centering drive that went five-hole on Griess. 

A little over a minute later, Detroit cut the margin in half with Filip Hronek taking a shot into traffic. His shot never made the net but as the puck got into the air, Tyler Bertuzzi batted it in with his stick that notched his fourth. With the power play working out at that time, the Red Wings earned another chance to make it a game to win. Detroit had a lot of good chances but none of them made it behind Oettinger. 

Detroit was back in it as they made another push to get closer to the stars and with good movement of the puck, the team could smell it. Danny DeKeyser made Detroit’s third of the night with a long shot from the blue line. It went off the elbow of Dallas’s Justin Dowling. It was DeKeyser’s first since March 29, 2019, and one he was happy to contribute. With six minutes left, and the Red Wings hunting the Stars down, they suffered a penalty that gave them a chance to get one back. 

They did so with the Red Wings out of place and an open net for Ty Dellandrea recording his first NHL goal. The game was put away as Detroit went for the empty net but watched Dowling return Dallas to their three-goal lead. The Red Wings were deflated by the turn of events and with two minutes left, the onslaught wasn’t over. John Klingberg made it 7-3 to get his second while adding insult to injury to their opponents. When it was over, Dallas outshot Detroit 29-22 but their three goals in the final minutes put the Red Wings out of their misery.

Red Wings lose out in overtime to Stars 2-1

Joe Pavelski #16, Denis Gurianov #34 and the Dallas Stars celebrate a goal against the Detroit Red Wings at the American Airlines Center on January 26, 2021 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images)

A lack of movement and pressure on the ice resulted in another Detroit Red Wings loss at the American Airlines Arena Tuesday. A turnover in overtime gave the Dallas Stars a 2-1 win. It gave them their third win in a row and Detroit their third straight defeat. 

A new week can only be good after an ugly finish Detroit had against the Chicago Blackhawks. After a four-game slide on their end, they outscored the Red Wings 10-3 and were 1-12 on the power play indicating a serious issue. They made their way to the Lone Star state to face Dallas, who got a late start to their season. With the Stars only two games in, the Red Wings needed to be the dictators while there and get the man advantage going. 

Though it took the Stars some time to get their first recorded shot on goal, they had leverage early on Detroit. By the time eight minutes had passed, the Stars earned some time on the power play, with Bobby Ryan being called for too many men. Just when it looked like Dallas would gain the opening lead, the Red Wings PK did work to stop them in the offensive zone. After just one minute back on even strength, a move from Givani Smith got the puck moving around the back of the Stars net. 

Taro Hirose got it out front where Dallas miscued on leaving goaltender Anton Khudobin open. With no one there for defensive cover, Vladislav Namestnikov came in to backhand one through the five hole, scoring is first of the season. It was their first shot on goal that led to more as the period had six minutes left. Dallas hunted down their moment to tie the game before the first ended, but good man-to-man coverage and defense around Thomas Griess kept them scoreless. 

A big collision into the Detroit net handed the Red Wings a second power play. Two offsides called took a lot of time from the man advantage that Detroit didn’t make use of. When the first was said and done, each team shot six times with Detroit being best on the faceoff. 

In the second, Detroit spent the rest of their time with the extra man before they returned to even strength. The next few minutes saw the Red Wings and Stars fighting for possession until a slashing penalty to Filip Hronek gave Dallas a power play. Off the faceoff in the Detroit zone, Dallas got the puck to the back near the blue line where John Klingberg drove it straight through traffic scoring his first to even things up. 

The Stars got another power-play but Detroit knew they couldn’t give up another one. Despite saving another, they couldn’t get the offense in place to make a difference. It once again led Dallas to another man advantage. The Red Wings PK stopped a third and a minute later caught a break. Detroit’s second chance to increase the score didn’t work as their offense struggled to maintain possession and prevent giveaways. Dallas took every opportunity to get the puck and fire on Griess who felt the pressure. By the time the second period was over, they outshot Detroit 11-6 while producing a low number of scoring chances. 

The third period saw both teams struggle to make a jump with their offense and strike out the leading goal. Through ten minutes of play, Detroit and Dallas recorded a total of five shots on goal with no clear winner in sight. Detroit caught three more shots that had them ahead, right before they tried to make three a charm on the power play. The Red Wings took a few shots with one having a second try at the net but Khudobin and the Dallas PK cleared the puck out, getting back to even strength with two minutes left. 

The Stars didn’t get their shot at ending things in regulation with the Red Wings determined to go into overtime to settle the affair. Detroit opened 3 on 3 showing plenty of patience as they tried to get their best line into action. After two switches, Dallas got their chance and pressured quickly. Once again, they had the last laugh with Klingberg setting up the drive that went off Jason Dickinson to end their night 92 seconds into it.

Blackhawks ravage Red Wings 6-2 on Suter hat trick

Pius Suter #24 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Detroit Red Wings in the first period at the United Center on January 24, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images)

Pius Suter had quite a day on the ice that beat down the Detroit Red Wings Sunday at the United Center. The 24-year-old centerman recorded his first career goal and hat trick that assisted the Blackhawks to a 6-2 rout. 

Detroit’s missing links and lack of special teams caused them to flop against Chicago Friday night in a 4-1 loss. With COVID-19 protocols breaking apart the luck they had back home, coach Jess Blashill hoped to have a better output from the lineup he could put together. Standing in their way was Lankinen who made 31 saves and allowed just one goal from the Red Wings. With his skills taking care of business, it would be a challenge for Detroit to break him just right and open the flow of scoring chances in their matinee matchup. 

Detroit got a power play 90 seconds into the game, but despite shots from captain Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha, nothing got behind the Chicago netminder. At 4:42 when play returned to even strength, a drive from Patrick Kane bounced off the pads of Jonathan Bernier giving up a scoring chance. It was there that Suter scored his first NHL goal. He earned his second on the man advantage that occurred five minutes later. The Red Wings couldn’t clear the puck while under pressure, leading Suter to notch Chicago’s sixth game streak scoring on the power play. 

Chicago remained in dictation of the period where they doubled the shots on goal than what Detroit put together. The Blackhawks got another power play later on in the period, but the Detroit line at the time did work to prevent the game from getting out of hand. They earned a second man advantage in the final seconds but took half of it into the second stanza, hoping to make a difference. Chicago outshot Detroit 13-5 despite winning one of every three faceoffs taken. 

Detroit had their chances to score increase as Chicago suffered another penalty 12 seconds after the opening faceoff. With a 5 on 3 advantage, Detroit set up a scoring chance with Filip Hronek setting up Larkin with a snapshot that went off Tyler Bertuzzi for his second. It was Detroit’s sixth shot that soon had them adding more against Lankinen. 

Bernier faced some tough shots against the Blackhawks but made the necessary stops to keep his team within reach. Detroit created momentum, showing determination with getting the game even. Chicago gave them very little time to pressure the team’s defense or Lankinen, overturning play back to their offense. With less than three minutes to go, a shot from Connor Murphy through traffic found its way behind Bernier recording his second for a 3-1 lead. Their statement lasted for the remainder of the period to sour Detroit through 40 minutes. 

 Things only got worse as the third got underway, with Mattias Janmark scoring 58 seconds after the faceoff at center ice. It was his second of the season and one that set their offense on fire. They dictated well through the period until a penalty to Duncan Keith gave Detroit a chance to convert on the power play. Bertuzzi took credit for it with a rebound shot with Larkin setting up the opportunities. 

Under a minute later, Suter made his mark with a third, clinching the hat trick on a loose puck. Suter skated it in, snapping a shot past the glove of Bernier that made it 5-2. Chicago had the game locked up, but there was still time on the clock to make Detroit’s day a bad one. With 4:05 left on the clock, Philipp Kurashev got in on the fun scoring an unassisted drive into the net for his second. The Blackhawks continued to pursue the puck and pressure the Detroit zone until the horn sounded to end their misery. They outshot the Red Wings 37-25 having found their niche at home with a second victory. Lankinen made 25 saves in what was a performance from his to be commended.

Blackhawks overcome thier problems to win 4-1 at home

Patrick Kane #88 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Detroit Red Wings in the first period at the United Center on January 22, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images)

Detroit let the air from their sails fall silent at the United Center Friday night. With atrocious special teams, the Red Wings blew chances on the man advantage while they watched Chicago redeem their poor start on the season. Patrick Kane had two points on the night in the team’s 4-1 win ending a four-game losing streak. 

Chicago would have to continue working through the motions as COVID-19 protocol hit their lineup. Detroit caught the same problems with Filip Zadina going on the list. In their first game on the road this season, they’ll try to increase to a two-game winning streak against a slumping Original Six team. The Blackhawks had yet to record a win, having been on the road for the first four games. With the chance to begin anew at home, they’ll try to turn it around and dictate the home ice. 

Detroit got a terrific start from the faceoff with Tyler Bertuzzi striking a shot at Blackhawks netminder Kevin Lankinen. It helped produce further scoring chances but after the first six minutes, they couldn’t get one in. Neither did Chicago who trailed with five shots, challenging Thomas Griess. Later on, at 13;15, the Blackhawks earned a power play on Valtteri Filppula turning a player around and getting called for holding. 

It was a mistake that Detroit regretted as Chicago scored on the man advantage in their last four games. Kane made it five as his stick got a piece of the puck for his third of the season. The Red Wings earned a power play shortly afterward but watched it killed with Chicago’s PK blocking the shooting lines in their zone. They spent the remainder of the period going after the Red Wings defense that had them outshooting 12-10. 

Detroit opened the second period with another power-play but watched the Blackhawks battled them from possessing and second chances near the crease of Lankinen. Full strength returned with Chicago regrouping the offense to increasing their pressure. Unfortunately, Kane got called for unsportsmanlike conduct after he tried to fake a stick injury. Detroit nearly saw a short hander happen but the defense and Griess closed the door. 

It all went south as Detroit caught a penalty, bringing things to 4 on 4. While they avoided letting the Blackhawks score on a short power play, they didn’t stop a drive from Calvin De Haan. The Chicago defenseman fired from the far end, scoring his first, giving the Blackhawks a commanding 2-0 lead. Bertuzzi tried to get the Red Wings on the board but found himself cut off by Lankinen who was running a shutout more than halfway through the game. 

Three was not a charm for Detroit as a chance with the man advantage went empty with special teams not converting. The remaining four minutes saw the Red Wings adding more shots on net but unable to end their scoreless result through two periods. Detroit outshot Chicago 12-5 while doing very well on the faceoff, but needed a bigger statement than their fight for the puck. 

Chicago took point in the third period, firing away at Griess with four shots and Detroit notching one. The Blackhawks got more time to add further shots in the Detroit zone with their fourth power play. With the ice open, Kane set up teammate Andrew Shaw with a one-timer into the right of Griess to make it 3-0. It was the team’s second power-play goal of the night, showing how strong the special teams' action was. 

Desperate to make a response, the Red Wings tried to be something together. A goal from Dylan Larkin at 12:22 ended the shutout for Lankinen but kept them far from leveling the game. Chicago made it clear that they were going to win at home, responding with a goal while shorthanded. Mattia Janmark scored Chicago’s fourth goal of the night while notching his first with the team. It marked the end of an early slide for the Blackhawks and when the horn sounded ending regulation, it was the sound of defeat for Detroit.

Red Wings edge out the win in 3-2 overtime result against the Blue Jackets

Michael Rasmussen #27, Frans Nielsen #81, Jon Merrill #24 and Danny DeKeyser #65 of the Detroit Red Wings celebrate with teammate Bobby Ryan #54 after he scores a goal during the second period of an NHL game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Little Caesars Arena on January 19, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Red Wings fought to the bitter end and did it quickly when they had it at Little Caesar’s Arena Tuesday night. Tyler Bertuzzi got credit for the overtime goal that occurred quickly to give Detroit the 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

 Detroit’s slip up against Columbus on Monday left them down but not out with one more shot at leveling their record. Elvis Merzlikins earned the nod to start for the Blue Jackets in his 33rd time as a goaltender. The Red Wings looked to find their stride with the offense and bring more than teammate Bobby Ryan who notched his second and third against them. In their last game at home before hitting the road, a win would put them in a place that prepared them for the battles ahead. 

The Blue Jackets started on time with Detroit trailing on shots to the net. As the game neared the halfway point of the first period, Columbus had 6 shots while the Red Wings got a few at Merzlikins. While neither team made a true push to score, it gave Detroit a chance to catch up with them on shots to the net. After 20 minutes were in the books, Columbus outshot the Red Wings 8-7 and only three scoring chances combined. 

Both teams improved as the second got underway, but bad coverage helped Max Domi who came into the slot with the puck but suddenly made a pass to his left. There he found Boone Jenner who one-timed the shot and scored it top shelf behind Jonathan Bernier for his second of the season. The Red Wings answered nearly two minutes later with Anthony Mantha making a push to level the score while on the power play. 

He took a shot on Merzlikins which was blocked but came back to him for another try. The second chance worked out giving Mantha his first and notching the first power-play goal in seven attempts. For the next 11 minutes, things began to calm with the Blue Jackets getting a chance on the power play but coming up short when it came to taking the lead. During a play in the Columbus zone, Seth Jones and Ryan got the sticks together that sent the puck flipping high and into the net for his fourth. 

He became the first Red Wings player in history to score four goals in his first three games with the franchise. Detroit outshot the Blue Jackets 10-8 with a strong finish and with the lead, they would try to go for broke with the third remaining. 

Columbus wanted to lead back quickly and they showed Detroit a thing or two during the opening minutes. They took three shots while the Red Wings managed a pair. At 14:27, the Blue Jackets made a statement that turned the game around. Liam Foudy got very close to the net and got a stick on the puck that made its way into the net. Detroit chose to challenge the call due to goaltender interference. Officials took a quick look and determined that there wasn’t any to impede Bernier. 

With the game tied at two-all, Detroit went a man down but got the penalty killed off. Columbus didn’t stop as they pressured the Red Wings zone with plenty of shots to the net of Bernier. Detroit put a stop to it as time fell off the clock with the end of regulation nearing. They took their scoring chances on Merzlikins, but he refused to give up the game-winner with less than two minutes to go. 

When time expired, there still wasn’t a winner as each received a point and went 4 on 4 for a shot at the other. Columbus won the opening faceoff but quickly had the puck stolen by Larkin and his line. The Red Wings captain bided his time, waited for the shot, and drove the puck to the net. It hit off the pad of Merzlikins but went off the upper thigh of Bertuzzi that returned toward the net ending the game just 15 seconds into overtime. 

“We played a good 60 minutes and it paid off in the end when we play hard and do the right thing, said Bertuzzi to Fox Sports Detroit reporter John Keating. It was his first of the season but the one they truly needed to sit at .500 through four games. 

“It was a quick turn up, Bertuzzi said. “I just tried to beat my man to the ice. I knew Larkin would be up there with me and just go to the net. Larks shot it and it hit my butt and went in.” While it was an unusual way to score the game-winner, Bertuzzi and the Red Wings will enjoy the finish to their homestand before heading out to the road. They’ll head over to Chicago to face the Blackhawks in an Original Six matchup with a team that hasn’t logged a victory in just yet.

Blue Jackets late push defeats Red Wings 3-2

Pierre-Luc Dubois #18 of the Columbus Blue Jackets scores a goal on Thomas Greiss #29 of the Detroit Red Wings during the third period of an NHL game at Little Caesars Arena on January 18, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images)

An early matinee concluded with the Columbus Blue Jackets ending their opening slide Monday. A late surge and a hit of frustrations for the Detroit Red Wings handed them their first win of the season with a 3-2 win. 

Detroit’s win on Saturday showed a lot of promise to the core values that Bobby Ryan and captain Dylan Larkin brought together. Their 4-2 win against the Hurricanes allowed them to continue building upon the time at home. With Columbus coming to visit for a pair of games, and the team having yet to record a win, the Red Wings would try to avoid them from getting anything close to a point while in the motor city. 

Through the opening six minutes, the Red Wings and Blue Jackets had their scoring chances, but neither goaltender gave anything up. Tyler Bertuzzi almost had the first goal with a loose puck in front of Columbus netminder Joonas Korpisalo. The Finn managed to snatch it up and stop play but his next battle with the Detroit offense didn’t fare well. On a faceoff to his left, Ryan one-timed a snapshot that flew to the right of Korpisalo and into the net for his second of the season. 

At 10:24, Columbus forward Seth Jones earned a penalty shot for his first facing Thomas Greiss. Too many fancy moves ended the attempt with the Detroit goaltender putting a glove on it. It marked the sixth shot for the Blue Jackets and little else as the Red Wings dictated play through the remainder of the period. Good moves, plenty of fight, and shots at the Columbus net produced a total of 13 while their opponents had eight. 

Just one minute into the second period, the Red Wings had a power-play chance to increase the score. Their efforts saw a lot of blocked shots from the Columbus PK unit and work from Korpisalo as he closed the window on Frans Nielsen. The penalty kill helped the Blue Jackets put the offense into another gear, giving Griess a lot to handle. He was halfway through the game with a shutout on the Blue Jackets, hoping that he and his team could keep up the good work. 

At 4:49, the Blue Jackets tied the game with a late change on the ice helping their back end. Oliver Bjorkstrand fired the puck through traffic to notch his first of the season. It was the moment that evened up Columbus with Detroit as 40 minutes was in the books with each team shooting 11 times in the period. With 20 minutes left to play in regulation, the Red Wings had to up the ante to hold the Blue Jackets back.

Ryan earned a penalty for tripping to open the third that gave Columbus time to pressure the Red Wings. Detroit handled the man advantage for the Blue Jackets and forced back even-strength due to wins from the faceoff. Alexandre Texier took care of business at 5:10 with a wraparound attempt that watched the puck go under a stick and into the net for his efforts to move Columbus up 2-1. 

An open part of the ice allowed the Blue Jackets to move quickly while Detroit made a line change. Pierre Luc Dubois scored 1:16 later with his first and Detroit trailing by a sizable margin. Columbus was outshooting the Red Wings with some of the best shooters quiet on the ice. A power play at 12:34 gave Detroit a chance to get back within reach but was silenced for two minutes. 

A heartbreaker for the Red Wings occurred when they fired one that hit the goalpost when Korpisalo was at a vulnerable point. With 2:49 left in regulation, Detroit pulled Greiss from the net for the extra man but spent a lot of time fighting the puck away from Columbus. After a scoring chance in the Blue Jackets net that they almost thought was theirs, a fight ensued with Korpisalo hitting Vladislav Namestnikov and Tyler Bertuzzi returning the favor. 

More fights broke out between the teams as it was being determined by the NHL if the goal was good or not. After incidental contact was ruled out, referees determined the goal was good for Detroit with Anthony Mantha receiving credit. The Red Wings tried to empty the net during the first faceoff but time was not on their side as the game came to a close with the Blue Jackets winning their first game.

Red Wings get help from home in 4-2 win against Carolina

Jon Merrill #24, Robby Fabbri #14, Danny DeKeyser #65 and Filip Zadina #11 of the Detroit Red Wings congratulate teammate Bobby Ryan #54 after he scores his first goal during an NHL game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Little Caesars Arena on January 16, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images)

A victory for the Red Wings came at the right moment on Saturday at Little Caesars Arena. Detroit’s efforts with help from Michiganders Bobby Ryan and Dylan Larkin helped the team win 4-2 over the Carolina Hurricanes. Their offense took care of business to post the first win for the franchise this season. 

Detroit’s home-opening defeat by the Hurricanes didn’t pan out too bad but shots on goal were much lower than their opponents. Head coach Jeff Blashill chose to give Griess the night off and put in Bernier who spent a lot of time between the pipes. With a lot of rust shaken off, the Red Wings would look to increase their puck possession and go big for the lead. Ryan who is a big NHL veteran who is a native of Michigan entered the lineup for the first time in a winged wheel jersey hoping that his presence and skill could liven up the offense. 

Through the first six minutes, Carolina had two shots while Detroit hadn’t gotten on the board. They nearly net one in at 7:45 when Bernier made a save and fought off further chances from the Hurricanes. Filip Hronek got into position as a goaltender, making a save or two before the whistle was blown to stop play. Just when they thought they were out of trouble, a penalty by Danny DeKeyser gave Carolina a power play. 

The Red Wings PK did well to kill off a lot of time and nearly had a short hander with Vladislav Namestnikov going one on one with Petr Mrazek. The former Detroit netminder made the stop against the Russian and watched as Detroit suffered another penalty. They managed to kill off a second straight and later earn their shot on the man advantage with an interference call to Nino Niederreiter. Detroit increased their shots at Mrazek but didn’t strike first on the scoreboard. Despite a missed shot, the Red Wings got physical, battled for the puck, and won 60 percent of faceoff draws. 

With the sign of improvement, the Red Wings continued their battles on the ice and within three minutes of the second period, the fight paid off. Filip Zadina picked the pocket of Carolina forward Warren Foegele. With the puck behind the Hurricanes net, he found Ryan open for the one-timer and the Red Wings first score of 2021. It was the key to holding Carolina through the remainder of the period while they finessed the game and played hard. Each team shot nine on goal with the Hurricanes ending the period with more than half of their third power-play left. 

 When they began the third, Carolina scored on the remaining man advantage with Andrei Svechnikov scoring his second of the season. Just 18 seconds later, Dylan Larkin got his team back out front. The Hurricanes vied for their moment to level the score in the final period, pulling out all the stops to do so. Though it took several minutes, Carolina pushed the Red Wings to the brink before Svechnikov rung one off the inside of the post for his second of the night. 

With five minutes left, the Hurricanes kept up the pace with Detroit desperate to not only win the game but avoid an OT situation. On a second power play, the Red Wings worked themselves hard in the Carolina zone where a shot from Zadina to Robby Fabbri gave them a 3-2 lead. With 2:16 left, the Hurricanes took a timeout, pulling Mrazek from the net. On a win from the faceoff in the Red Wing’s zone, Larkin took control of the puck and got ahead of the opposition to shoot it into the net for his second with 1:56 left in regulation. 

It was the game-winner that brought home the win for them to begin the weekend. Ryan only played 12 minutes in the game but made his mark at the right time. “I felt like I settled in relatively quickly, Ryan said to Fox Sports Detroit’s John Keating. “To put us up one for us was going in the right direction, I’ll take what I can get.” 

With things turning out much better in their second try, Detroit would do it all over again when they face the Columbus Blue Jackets early Monday.

Hurricanes blow through Detroit in season opener

Teuvo Teravainen #86 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with Nino Niederreiter #21 of the Carolina Hurricanes after he scores a goal during an NHL game against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on January 14, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Carolina Hurricanes carried plenty of patience to come into the 2021 season as winners Thursday night. Pushing well ahead on offense, the shots from their side were too much for the Red Wings, who went down with an answer losing 3-0 at Little Caesars Arena. 

Detroit came into a brand new season hoping that despite the situation the world finds themselves in, they can return to the game the team loves. For Larkin, the Red Wings 37th captain in franchise history, he begins the new chapter as leading a different lineup in the past few years. After seeing their 2019-2020 season shortened, they knew that they had to prove the rebuild made significant improvements. While fans couldn’t be in the stands, Detroit got back to business against the Carolina Hurricanes. Both teams expected to shake off the rust for 60 minutes, but couldn’t wait to get back to work on the ice. 

Detroit got moving well with the puck, as Anthony Mantha fired the puck at former Detroit goaltender Petr Mrazek. For four minutes, they had good puck possession until a turnover in the neutral zone spelled trouble. Sebastian Aho moved into the Detroit zone with Nino Niederreiter finding open ice between himself and Thomas Griess. A deke or two soon led to the puck getting into the net for the 28-year-old right-winger. 

Detroit left too much of the ice open on that play but continued to show their push to drive the offense at Carolina. Detroit managed two shots and spent time having the Hurricanes steal the puck away and go after a second on Griess. The German netminder didn’t let the lead increase against the Red Wings stopping six shots. With four minutes left, Detroit made a push with Mathias Brome in his first NHL game, getting a piece of the crossbar. 

Detroit got the defensive coverage working better in front of Griess, which brought an end to the first with the deficit short. Carolina shot a total of 12 to the Red Wing’s four. When the second stanza opened, Detroit was chasing down the Hurricanes who were covering the Detroit end, giving Griess a lot of action. At times, the Detroit defense covered up the firing lines while clearing out second chances for Carolina to fire the puck. 

The Hurricanes had their first man advantage but faced a strong Red Wings PK. Detroit got out of trouble and gave what they could at Mrazek. They caught a break at 13:34 with a penalty to Brady Skjei. It helped Detroit get more pucks to the net, but the former netminder for the home team stopped them. The Red Wings made a statement before the end of the second with Sam Gagner going at it with Carolina’s Dougie Hamilton. The 6’6 defenseman had leverage on the forward, taking him down after a few swings to one another. It didn’t help level the score for Detroit as they were outshot 12-6. 

Detroit quickly opened the third with their second power-play but Mrazek stayed tight in between the pipes, locking them out from scoring. Once back to even strength, Carolina dictated the first seven shots of the period. As they controlled the pace, Detroit chased them down, making very little impact on offensive movements. Detroit notched their first shot on goal halfway through but time worked against them with the team trailing. 

Carolina pressed forward, nearly having the second with an open window but missed their moment. Detroit was stuck in their zone fighting off the Hurricanes, having made just one shot back at the halfway mark of the period. Things got worse, as Carolina earned a power play on Dylan Larkin’s tripping penalty. They spent a lot of time looking for a shooting line but had Detroit’s PK in the way. Just when they were about to kill the penalty, they gave the Hurricanes another one with three minutes left. 

A shot from Martin Necas skipped off of Ryan Dzingel and into the net for a 2-0 stand with two and a half minutes to play. The Red Wings eyed their first loss with no chance to tie it. Andrei Svechnikov made it worse when Detroit went for the extra man and allowed him to slide one across the ice and into the empty net. Carolina had plenty to be happy about as they dictated well against Detroit outshooting them 43-13 in an impressive output.

Veronika Kudermetova stuns Svitolina in three set upsetter

Veronika Kudermetova flopped on the floor after her three set victory over Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals of the Abu Dhabi Women's Tennis Open Monday. 

Veronika Kudermetova earned a significant win at the Abu Dhabi Women’s Tennis Open Monday night. The Russian gained a second victory over Elina Svitolina, who battled her through another three-setter but came up short 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(3) on center court at the Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre. 

The two last met in 2019, where the Russian defeated Svitolina in three sets, bringing memories of the second seed’s last match. The Ukrainian had a rough finish to her round of 16 battle with Ekaterina Alexandrova, who she allowed to dig back into the match forcing her into back-to-back tiebreaks. Though she made it through by the skin of her teeth, she knew that repeating the same play against Kudermetova would only spell one result. The 23-year-old had a roller coaster three-setter Sunday but managed to come out of it better than she expected. 

When she opened against Svitolina, Kudermetova had a strong service game that set the bar high for the second seed. The 26-year-old was right behind her, making sure that she didn’t give the Russian more than necessary on the court to counter. Through five games, Kudermetova continued to lead the way with Svitolina answering the call. The Russian pressed the issue in the sixth, forcing deuce but she hit the ball too hard behind the baseline, leading the second seed to level once more. 

The holds of serve made it through eight games until Kudermetova made it nine with a strong finish scoring a crosscourt winner on Svitolina. The Ukrainian was under pressure to match her opponent, responding with a serve to love. With more to play from the set, Svitolina made sure to play every ball that resulted in her breaking the Russian for the lead. The tables switched late for the 23-year-old, who fought back to force deuce on a net bouncer that landed in. After a break, the Russian put too much on the ball, giving Svitolina the win in 46 minutes.

Both fought well against the other with eight combined aces produced. Kudermetova had 18 winners against the second seed, but the same number of errors is what gave her opponent the edge needed. When Svitolina opened service in the second set, she clinched another break for her second straight but suffered one of her own in the following game. The Russian consolidated that, with a hold in the third gaining momentum. 

Svitolina saw her offense come under attack as Kudermetova began returning well. The second seed forced deuce, holding the Russian to a break to hold serve. Kudermetova added more with the drop shots that got her through the fifth and scored a break in the sixth, widening the gap. She was soon up three straight, with her strategy paying off while closing in on the set. Svitolina managed a hold to love in the eighth but it was too little too late as the 23-year-old finished the second with a victory that took 38 minutes. 

The Russian had four aces and 13 winners, all while keeping the errors lower. Her production of points against Svitolina had her in a good place to go for the upset in the decider. She opened the third winning two games in a row showing serious dictation over the second seed. Svitolina put a stop to the run of games won, adding aggression to her groundstrokes that snapped Kudermetova’s streak. 

Four games resulted in service holds for the two, with Kudermetova waiting for her moment to strike back another gap on Svitolina. Though she was forced to deuce, it took the Russian a couple breaks to reach 4-2, sitting two ahead and two away from an upset. Svitolina made good of her service game, holding through the seventh to keep in touch with the 23-year-old. She struck well with depth on her shots that got her to four-all with balls in hand to go for the lead. 

A break to love for the second seed made a big statement on court, earning her a chance at the match with Kudermetova running out of chances. Holding the tenth allowed the Russian to remain positive and force the set deep. Svitolina had her moment to dictate the remainder of the match, instead the Russian made her moment nearly getting a break to love. The Ukrainian tried to fight back for control, but it was too little too late as the 23-year-old moved ahead 6-5 serving for the match. 

She fell behind 0-40 in the 12th, erring on wide returns but saved herself with an ace to start. Saving further breakpoints was out of the question for Svitolina, who got into her third tiebreak of the tournament. She found herself down 3-0 with errors, producing the deficit. She notched one but had a three-point gap kept in front of her. It was 6-2 for Kudermetova, who reached match point but missed on a long ball. Her second attempt had her serving it out, concluding in a second serve return landing just inside the line to end a 2 hour and 34-minute thriller.

Elina Svitolina nearly falls but rushes late to win at Abu Dhabi Women's Tennis Open

Elina Svitolina clenches her fist during a round of 16 match against Ekaterina Alexandrova at the Abu Dhabi Women's Tennis Open Sunday

Elina Svitolina made it through her match by the skin of her teeth at the Abu Dhabi Women’s Tennis Open Sunday night. The second seed had one problem after another against the surge from Ekaterina Alexandrova, who took her to the distance in a 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-6(8) score on center court at the Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre. 

The two faced off last year at the French Open with Svitolina winning late in two sets. With two victories under her belt in the shortened 2021 season, the second seed eyed a path to the quarterfinals. The 26-year-old had yet to drop a set in the tournament and also improved on her offense to dictate the previous match. While there wasn’t a major on the line for her, the need for more time on the court mattered much to both players. 

Alexandrova was made to serve the opening game and had trouble keeping the ball in control. It produced break point chances, bringing Svitolina to deuce. After a break, the Ukrainian’s third breakpoint capped the early lead. Svitolina’s serve faced adversity, with Alexandrova making some good returns but got in trouble with the errors. They went to deuce where a lucky break for the Russian scored her the break back. 

The second seed made her opponent pay for bringing difficulty to her service with a double break in the third. Svitolina went on to consolidate her service for a 3-1 lead, notching a serve to love against the 17th seed. The Russian had a few wild hits of the ball on serve, giving the Ukrainian a third break of serve and the gap widening. Svitolina reached 5-1 with another hold of serve but gaining the break to end the first was out of the question for Alexandrova. 

The 17th seed held her end well to maintain service for the first time. It didn’t help her extend the set as the world number five hit the afterburners notching her second serve to love, ending the set with a wide return ending 30 minutes of play. Alexandrova’s serve beat her down significantly, where she made 37 percent of her shots count while Svitolina averaged 61 with just four winners. 

Improvements didn’t come to her in the second set as the Ukrainian was on a mission to end her evening quickly. She smashed down Alexandrova’s positive moments and scored her third serve to love of the match. Sitting two games down, the Russian held Svitolina to a single point in the third to avoid a shutout. She added a second win with Svitolina committing her first double fault. Trying not to add more problems, the second seed broke Alexandrova to love to edge out in the fifth. 

The Russian tried pulling off the same feat in the sixth but her opponent climbed back to save three break points with an ace for deuce. Just when it looked as if she’d hold serve, Svitolina recorded her second double fault, handing Alexandrova the break. Confidence was growing in the Russian as she found herself close with Svitolina and suddenly leading the second seed after seven. 

The Ukrainian was losing some focus with the need to change things up on her opponent. The second seed worked hard on deuce, chasing every ball that came back. After a couple of breaks, she scored the win needed to level at four-all. Svitolina scored the key break that returned the lead to her end after nine with the shot to serve for the match. Alexandrova played too good in the tenth, showing tremendous aggression that put Svitolina in danger. The second seed watched as the first breakpoint was saved and a second on her forehand crosscourt. A drop shot from Alexandrova was her moment to end the comeback and push the two further on in the set. 

The Russian took the first step with a hold that gave her the 6-5 lead, eyeing her chance at forcing a deciding set. Svitolina answered with a strong serve that she wished she had earlier but would fight for it on the tiebreak. A double fault from Alexandrova gave the second seed the minibreak and a second point. A drop shot return foiled her plan to keep the Russian from scoring and soon had them tied on an error. 

Svitolina gained another two points until the Russian came back with difficult returns including the drop shot that leveled them at four-all. Her net-front presence set up a smash that brought up set point. Svitolina tried to counter in the rally but it was answered with a net-front slice that ended her hopes for a quick finish. The set lasted 55 minutes with the Russian improving the first serve and notched 20 winners that caused damage to her opponent. 

 Brushing it off in the third, Svitolina held serve to begin the decider with Alexandrova close. She added a break to consolidate putting Svitolina in trouble early. With the momentum swung well for the 17th seed, she added further pressure on the second see to grow out a 3-1 stance for herself. Svitolina found a way to dig deep on serve and etch out a serve to love. Alexandrova opened back her two-game lead but holding off Svitolina wasn’t in the cards during the seventh where her chance for the break fell apart. 

 She earned redemption with a great hold that put her in place to play for the match. Svitolina responded with a serve to love in the ninth, hoping for another to pressure her opponent. Alexandrova felt the nerves while serving for the match as she erred three times to bring the score to five-all. The aggression faded away from the Russian and increased the skills of Svitolina to play for a spot in the quarterfinals. 

Alexandrova had something to say about the situation and did so with a hold of serve that sent them to the brink of a tiebreak. The 17th seed notched the first point but made a mistake on the second. She overcame a short deficit winning the next three points, gaining some positivity. The score was five-all with Svitolina bringing the heat and Alexandrova unable to contain it. She clawed out match point but watched the Ukrainian fire a sixth ace to level back. 

 Every point was critical for the two as they remained deadlocked until an error from Alexandrova set up a second attempt from Svitolina which gave her the win on a wide return from the Russian ending a 2 hour and 25 minute nail biter.

Garbine Muguruza holds together in straight sets against Sasnovich

Garbine Muguruza waits to hit the forehand return in her second-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich on Saturday. 

Garbine Muguruza had a great day on court with a strong first serve percentage at the Abu Dhabi Women’s Tennis Open Saturday. The former world number one had things dialed in against Aliaksandra Sasnovich, who produced too many errors in a 6-1, 6-4 loss on centre court.

Both met for the first time having had great results in their opening round match in Abu Dhabi to begin the season. Though Sasnovich took care of a lower-ranked opponent, Muguruza managed to take down Kristina Mladenovic, who is not an easy player to face in a season opener. With another one in her way, the Belorussian and her doubles experience would come in hand to counteract the Spaniard. With the 27-year-old recording many unforced errors, she would have to limit them and dictate against Sasnovich who can be a major problem if let go of. 

The match opened with Sasnovich having issues with the service giving Muguruza the early lead with breakpoints. She took the first as the Belorussian double-faulted on the last point on serve giving Muguruza the break. When it looked as if the Spaniard would take control, she found herself struggling for a moment, giving Sasnovich a break back. There was yet another break of serve in the third giving Muguruza the lead. 

The fifth seed had things under control by the fourth where she put together a hold of serve. Breaking the Belorussian added to her dictation by controlling the point and winning 90 percent of second serve returns. She went up 5-1 on Sasnovich, setting up her chance to play for the set. A chance in the seventh for Muguruza soured on a net-front shot that dropped wide, bringing Sasnovich to deuce. It didn’t take her long to attain set point on the second break, which came on a wide return from the Belorussian ending the first in 33 minutes. 

With the need to improve her offense, Sasnovich came into the second set, making some shots difficult for Muguruza to return. Her final strike came with a low ball return to the Spaniard, who couldn’t get it back over, earning the break. For the fifth time in the match, Sasnovich had trouble containing her serve against the Spaniard, who made sure that she couldn’t in the second game. With two breaks in the set, Muguruza upped the ante with a secure hold of serve in the third.  

On her second try of the set and sixth of the match, the Belorussian had some help from a delay due to a cat on the court that allowed her to finish the service and hold Muguruza back. Sasnovich added a break to consolidate, but holding her own wasn’t in the cards. Muguruza found a weak spot from her opponent to take advantage of the moment and level back at three-all. She regained the lead, forcing errors from the Belorussian that held her serve. 

Muguruza bided her time as Sasnovich had another service hold under her belt but trailed with the fifth leading 5-4. Serving to extend the match, the 26-year-old overcooked some of her shots that brought up match point for the fifth seed. It was a five-shot rally that saw another one from Sasnovich go into the net ending 1 hour and 17 minutes. 

With a better performance on day two of singles play, she’ll see her next opponent in either Maria Sakkari or American Cori Gauff.

Elina Svitolina earns second round win at Abu Dhabi Women's Tennis Open

Elina Svitolina preps to smash the serve during her second round match against Vera Zvonareva at the Abu Dhabi Women's Tennis Open Saturday. 

Elina Svitolina had her work cut out for her the Abu Dhabi Women’s Tennis Open Saturday. The second seed had a surprising finish to her straight-sets result against Vera Zvonareva, winning 6-4, 6-1 on centre court at the Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre. 

 

A first time meeting for the two gives the second seed a chance to shake more rust off her game since returning to action Wednesday. The world number five had more than two dozen unforced errors but showed her skills to take down Jessica Pegula in straight sets. The 36-year-old Russian had a fine outcome of her opening match Thursdays in a two-set match win. Facing her first top-five opponent, Zvonareva had to come out early and quick if she vied to dictate against Svitolina. Though the task would be heavy, the 36-year-old planned to give it her all in her first opportunity of the season. 

She had a bit of trouble getting the service to work leading Svitolina to capture the early break. She thought that she would easily consolidate but instead committed a double fault that resulted in the break back for the Russian. Things got back to normal for the two as they returned to service holds that lasted six games. 

Svitolina had a better outcome at times that helped her score the break needed in the ninth that set her up for an early lead in the set. A serve to love from the second seed brought the first to a close in 40 minutes. Despite committing two double faults and a serve at 54 percent, the Ukrainian won more from the first and second serves that got her through in the end. 

The second opened with Zvonareva notching a shutout of the second seed, making it seem like she had something good to build upon. That was not the case against Svitolina, who answered back with a second serve to love and added a break for the 2-1 score. She found her footing that led to two more breaks and service holds that resulted in a 5-1 stand over Zvonareva. 

With one last chance to turn things around on serve, the Russian continued having problems with both sides of her service game, placing Svitolina with two set points. The second seed ended her day on court with a victory that took 26 minutes, moving her into the round of 16 in 1 hour and 11 minutes. 

With a dominant finish, the world number five left plenty in the tank for her next match which pit her against Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Elina Svitolina achieves first win of the season over Jessica Pegula

Elina Svitolina plays against American Jessica Pegula at the Abu Dhabi Women's tennis open Thurday

Elina Svitolina had some rust to shake off but came through at the Abu Dhabi Women’s Tennis Open with the win Thursday night. The second seed held back Jessica Pegula in straight sets winning the key breakpoints played to win 6-4, 6-3 on centre court at the Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre. 

The two met for the first time in a new location for both. With the inability to begin the WTA tour like always in Australia, the ladies began their talents in the U.A.E. where they could warm up for a continuing environment of tennis. The Ukrainian earned the second seed as the ranking fifth player in the world and gained the attention of the American. The 25-year-old last played at the French Open where she suffered an early loss. Svitolina ended her year at Ostrava where a fight against Maria Sakkari ended in defeat. With time in the new country that marked its first hosting of a WTA tournament, both Svitolina and Pegula wanted to get their match off on the right foot. 

The American opened the match with a good hold of serve with one point going to the Ukrainian. Once Svitolina got on the ball, she let Pegula have it with a strong response, followed by a break of serve. The second seed consolidated another service hold for her third game in a row before Pegula got back on track. By the sixth, she was still two games down, but a service to love brought her within reach after seven with a well-placed net shot. 

The eighth was highly contested as Svitolina had game point but watched as Pegula forced deuce. She battled through six breaks while creating breakpoint chances only to lose out on her opportunity to level the score. She kept close with the Ukrainian in the ninth, scoring well to go for broke. Svitolina battled hard in the tenth, finding a way to seal up the set with a groundstroke strategy that took Pegula down in 39 minutes. 

The American knew that she had to pick up the pace to stay with the second seed for as long as possible. When she opened the second set, Pegula pressed the issue and held Svitolina to two points. The Ukrainian answered but faced adversity from the American who didn’t make it easy. They played the next pair of games with both going to deuce as holding serve was difficult to achieve. Svitolina knew that she couldn’t let it be the key to her slipping up too much against Pegula. 

She missed on a couple chances but rallied back to place winners away from the American and reach a game point. Though it came on deuce, Svitolina reached a 4-2 lead with Pegula forcing the error from her end in the sixth. It was the moment that Svitolina awaited as she took the eighth and blasted away for a strong service hold. Having Pegula on the ropes, the American ran out of maneuvering that gave the second seed match point and walk off with the win in 1 hour and 20 minutes. 

While it was a normally timed win for Svitolina, she committed 26 of the 51 errors made on the court. With four double faults and a serve under 60 percent, her second had to be better to show her strengths as the world ranking number five.

Garbine Muguruza defends well in first win of 2021 season

 

Garbine Muguruza in action at the Abu Dhabi Women's Tennis Open against Kristina Mladenovic

Kristina Mladenovic had her opportunities alive but couldn’t lock them into place on the opening day of the WTA tour Thursday. The French star found her moment too late against Garbine Muguruza, who went on to take the match in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 on centre court at the Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre 

Their fourth meeting marked the first in two years and a strong challenge for both to start the new season. With a strange pandemic filled season in 2020, both European stars look to make the best of what the WTA Tour had in store. With locations playing a factor for everyone, beginning in the middle east was out of their comfort zone but playing the game remained the clear objective. 

The Spaniard won back in Monterrey where she took down the Frenchwoman in straight sets. With plenty of practice during the offseason with coach Conchita Martinez, the 26-year-old had her focus in check. Mladenovic got some action in ITF competition to stay in shape. It would be up to her level on how she would come out swinging against the former world number one. 

Muguruza had trouble coming through her opening service, handing Mladenovic the break. The French star added an easy hold to love in the second in response. The Spaniard got used to the court and the wind that in turn scored her a point in the third. The two went to deuce, where they spanned four breaks with the 26-year-old scoring a service hold. She then added a break to level the score through four games, indicating an improvement to her offense. It led the Spaniard to a four-game winning streak where mistakes from Mladenovic caused her to slide. 

It was soon 5-2 for Muguruza after adding another service hold, putting the French star under pressure. Having lost two previous service games, Mladenovic didn’t want to drop a third and showed her willingness to extend by forcing deuce in the eighth. Despite saving set point from Muguruza, a second soon came up for the fifth seed and locked down the first in 39 minutes. 

The Spaniard led the way in the second set, holding serve with Mladenovic following suit. The Frenchwoman increased her level of difficulty for Muguruza scoring a serve to love that leveled the score after four games. In the fifth, the 26-year-old double-faulted giving Mladenovic an edge for a breakpoint. The fifth seed denied her that chance for deuce where after a few breaks, the hold came to her. Mladenovic answered with another hold in the sixth, shutting out her opponent that put pressure on her service game in the seventh. 

The French star focused on Muguruza’s weakness and while having to play on deuce, it didn’t take more than one break to gain the lead. Muguruza slipped up with some of her ball placements but a fight in the eighth helped her break back on deuce to level the score at four-all. Muguruza fell behind on serve in the ninth giving plenty of breakpoint chances for the lead to Mladenovic. At 40-15, the Spaniard struck back to take control of her serve scoring an ace and placing the ball well against the opposition. On deuce, Muguruza nailed the victory in place to play for the match. 

Mladenovic refused to give anything to Muguruza in the tenth but her 40-0 stand in the game soon soured. A double fault and unforced errors brought the Spaniard to deuce, opening the door for a match point chance. Mladenovic suffered three more double faults in the game with a fourth putting her away and Muguruza through to the second round in 1 hour and 38 minutes. 

While the victory went to the fifth seed, it was not the prettiest of matches to be played by either one in their return to the sport. Both players combined for 59 unforced errors with Muguruza owning 31 of them. The number of breakpoints she won along with 17 winners against Mladenovic helped her move into the second round facing Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus.