Victoria Azarenka takes second round at GDL Open

Victoria Azarenka remained focus during her second round match against Dayana Yastremska at the GDL Open. 

Victoria Azarenka had the offense to hold back the challenges at the GDL Open on Tuesday night. The former world number one won in straight sets against Dayana Yastremska, aiming the shots just where they needed to be in a 6-4, 7-6(5) result on Estadio Akron De Tenis at the Panamerican Tennis Center.

The two met twice, making their third hard court battle one for control of the series. Between the two, the 34-year-old had a stronger outcome, rushing through her opening round. The Ukrainian faced a bitter challenge in her straight sets win over Ana Sofia Sanchez that took two hours to complete. Both of their previous meetings were decided in two sets, but since Azarenka leveled the history, she had the best chance of coming out on top.

The Ukrainian had problems with the forehand service, racking up double faults early in the match. She gave Azarenka a fight but wasn’t in a position to break. Three double faults came off big for Yastremska in the third, tallying five total before giving the 34-year-old the break. The tenth seed opened the gap holding serve, only to see the Ukrainian staying in touch.

With the break in hand, Azarenka kept at most a two-game lead on Yastremska, who did stay on serve, but the tenth seed played strong to finish it and close out the first set in 55 minutes. Though the 34-year-old performed better late in the set, her five double faults made the battle with Yastremska difficult. The 23-year-old had six to her name, but her opponent won the lead on first-serve points with 13 of 16.

After taking some time off the court, the Ukrainian returned to open service in the set. She added a break to make a statement, but the tenth seed broke back to get on the board. She backed up the break on serve in the fourth, holding back the competition. They remained even through six games, getting back on serve to make every game tight.

Yastremska was playing better in the set, taking charge on both sides of the court. In the eighth game, she drew errors from Azarenka, earning the break to love and a shot at forcing a decider. Azarenka denied her the chance to serve to get it done, fighting to force the set deeper and produce chances. She stopped the Ukrainian from achieving set point twice in the tenth before holding it from her end.

Yastremska didn’t let the lost chances get in the way, setting up the pressure for Azarenka in the 12th. She forced errors by the 23-year-old to push a tiebreak into place and try to bring the match to a close. The forehand shot was working well for Azarenka, continuing to draw errors from the Ukrainian, but after four points, it was even. The score remained tight, but a big crosscourt winner for Azarenka set her up for match point at 6-5. Yastremska double-faulted for the tenth time on the day to give the tenth seed a way out of a tight finish that took two hours and nine minutes to finish.

Danielle Collins determines three set win against Jelena Ostapenko

Danielle Collins serves up during her third round match at the San Diego Open. 

Danielle Collins played through the pain to advance at the San Diego Open on Wednesday. Going the distance with Jelena Ostapenko, the American remained set on fighting off the pain to beat her opponent 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Court Two at the Barnes Tennis Center. It was a roller coaster match for the players, who saw the lead changes take place in the final two sets.

The Latvian appeared to be comfortable playing another roller-coaster match to a decider on Tuesday. The 26-year-old was forced to the distance against Ekaterina Alexandrova after letting go of marginal victories. It was the 17th match since May that Ostapenko has played, and one of two meetings against Collins went the distance. The Latvian won their second meeting in Abu Dhabi this season and would try to get a win as she did in the Miami 2018 semifinal.

Collins opened the scoring with a service hold, followed by one from Ostapenko where she aced it to close the second game. A double fault from the American handed the early break to the Latvian, who remained in control of the serve to back it up. Collins sat a game down, but after serving, failed to chase the break in the sixth. The Latvian stepped it up in the sixth and tried to go for a bigger gap against the American.

A third double fault came from the serve of Collins, giving the 26-year-old the double break. With the 5-2 lead, Ostapenko ran away with the set to complete a strong run of service games. It was a 26-minute success for Ostapenko, who won 90 percent from the first serve and 70 percent from the second.

She continued her hot streak and broke Collins for the third time in the match. She fell behind slightly in the second but dug in to hold off the American on serve. The third game saw the two get into a contest for the AD point, which Collins wanted to hang on to. After three breaks, the American clinched the service game and then ran into trouble physically. She called for the trainer after breaking Ostapenko to level the score.

The Latvian broke Collins to love in the fifth and went to her coach for strategy advice while the trainer checked out the American’s lower back issue. She left the court to receive medical treatment, leaving Ostapenko to hit balls around to stay warm. The match continued after ten minutes, with the 26-year-old serving for the sixth. She fell behind to hand the break to Collins and soon sat a game down after seven.

The match got turned on its head when the American achieved the double break of Ostapenko, who faced a looming decider. Just when it looked like Collins had the match tied, she committed a sixth double fault to get the Latvian to deuce. Despite back-to-back double faults, the 29-year-old made good on her third set point attempt to take the set in 45 minutes. It was the tenth time in 11 matches that Ostapenko had to play, blowing the second set with late errors.

Collins took a medical time-out during the changeover and came into the first, breaking Ostapenko for her fifth game-winner in a row. The 26-year-old wasn’t able to bring the same heat, blowing a break to love chance and fighting to get on the board. She gained confidence with a serve to love in the third, leading 2-1 as Collins struggled with the injury. During the changeover, she refused to sit down to remain standing and prevent a drop in her performance. Collins let her service fall apart on double faults, giving the 26-year-old a step up. She committed a double fault in the fifth and struggled with the serve to suffer a break to love.

Ostapenko questioned calls during the sixth game on two occasions, believing that she was close. Her returns were nowhere near the lines, allowing Collins to hold serve for the three-all score. Collins took the next two games, causing a cheer from the crowd and screams of frustration by the Latvian. Collins continued to stand through it all, playing for her shot at the match, only to be shut out in the ninth.

It was all on the 29-year-old to do it on serve and did so on beautiful winners. Ostapenko drew a return into the net, giving Collins match point. On the second serve, the 26-year-old returned the ball long, ending the match in 1 hour and 53 minutes.

Jelena Ostapenko edge Alexandrova in three sets at San Diego Open.

Jelena Ostapenko clenches her first during the first round of the San Diego Open. 

Jelena Ostapenko came through in a topsy-turvy competition at the San Diego Open on Tuesday. Ekaterina Alexandrova had momentum and was on the verge of taking the third set until the tide changed for the Latvian, winning 7-6(3), 6-7(6), 7-5 on Court Two at the Barnes Tennis Center.

The two met for an eighth time, with a few coming in their ITF days. Alexandrova won their most recent two matches, going the distance against the Latvian in each of them. Though she carries the series lead, Ostapenko had her share of three-setters at the US Open, losing in the quarterfinals to eventual champ Coco Gauff. For the second straight tournament, the 26-year-old suffered scheduling issues in tournaments, playing late Monday night in doubles.

In her singles opener, Ostapenko laid down two aces before shutting out Alexandrova. The eighth seed followed suit, holding serve, and things remained that way through four. After saving breakpoints on serve, the 28-year-old produced breakpoints against Ostapenko, who managed to force deuce. An ace assisted the eighth seed to attain the AD point and the lead. Alexandrova backed up the break with an easy service, only to see her opponent remain comfortable on serve.

The Latvian went for the break in the eighth, covering the gap, and took the lead back in the ninth. Alexandrova remained in touch with her opponent, forcing further action into the set. Ostapenko saved breakpoints on serve to take the important 6-5 stand, trying to avoid a tiebreak. The momentum stuck with Ostapenko, but Alexandrova continued to battle for a way to challenge. After five breaks and three set points saved, the 28-year-old forced the tiebreak. T

The Latvian began her runaway performance, opening a 5-1 gap to Alexandrova. The eighth seed took it like a grain of salt, gaining two before Ostapenko reached set point. A long crosscourt gave the Latvian the first set after 57 minutes. The 28-year-old had four double faults in total, during the lengthy set, which Ostapenko performed well. The Latvian had four aces and a strong first serve to put her in the running to hold off going forward.

She took the opening game with a break and backed it up on serve in the second. Ostapenko easily achieved the double break and enjoyed the game she delivered to Alexandrova. She backed up things in the fourth in a shutout of the eighth seed, gripping all the control. Alexandrova blew her chance for the triple break, giving two points to the eighth seed, who went on to save her service and avoid the bagel.

Gaining some momentum for herself, the eighth seed threatened Ostapenko’s squeaky-clean service in the set. She cut the lead in half for the break and got within a game after the seventh. Frustration got to the Latvian, who had two games left to attain, only to have the competition hunting for more. Ostapenko breathed a sigh of relief after holding the eighth game and going for the match.

The ninth game was tight, but the Latvian managed to bring up a match point. A bad forehand brought Alexandrova to deuce, who got her way out of danger, taking the service hold. Alexandrova was gifted a shot to push the match three sets after Ostapenko suffered problems with the service. The 28-year-old took the lead at 6-5, playing for her chance to go three with Ostapenko. The 26-year-old started clean but faced big hits on the return from Alexandrova. The Latvian saved her opponent’s first set point of the match to go on and take the game to set up another tiebreak.

Alexandrova came out 3-0 and got into a struggle for set point against Ostapenko. After a six-all tie, the eighth seed went on to take her fifth set point attempt and cap the second in just under an hour. The two players combined for seven double faults, but the Latvian’s 4-0 lead squandered was the highlight of disaster.

She began the third, holding serve against Alexandrova, and capped it off with a break of the eighth seed. Just when it looked as if she would build together another sizable lead, the 28-year-old answered. Despite fighting off breaks from the Latvian, Alexandrova played two breaks to deuce and broke back to get on the board. She went on to take the next three, setting off Ostapenko to scream out in anger.

Alexandrova continued her march, taking a 5-2 stand on the score and her opponent on the ropes. When it looked as if the eighth seed had the match locked up, Ostapenko went on to break her in the eighth. She dug in on serve and held the ninth, then scored the double break in a shutout. Serving Alexandrova to love gave Ostapenko the lead at 5-6, allowed her to carry the four-game streak and get a fifth to hold through for the match that took 2 hours and 47 minutes to finish.

Double faults were a major factor late for the two, but Alexandrova’s 11 in total gave the Latvian a clean run to victory. 269 points were divvied out, with the Latvian taking a small edge in what was a lopsided match from both sides of the court.

Belinda Bencic edges Zhu in three sets to enter US Open round of 16.

Belinda Bencic during a critical point of her third round match with Lin Zhu at the US Open. 

Belinda Bencic got into the round of 16 by the skin of her teeth at the US Open Friday night. The 15th seed played a roller-coaster match with Lin Zhu, winning 7-6(1), 2-6, 6-3 on Grandstand Court at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. Both players never held longer than a few games, making it a drama-filled fight from start to finish. 

The two met almost a decade ago in Tianjin when they were teenagers, with Bencic taking their only meeting in straight sets. The 15th seed took down her previous opponents in straight sets, dropping six games against both. It marked the seventh time in eight appearances that she made the round of 32. Zhu pulled off an upset of Azarenka in round two, denying three breakpoints to the former world number one. It marked her fourth top-20 win of the season, looking for another against the Swiss.

She returned well against Bencic’s opening serve, getting a breakpoint opportunity quickly. The Swiss star hit one towards Zhu but watched it land wide of the tramline. The 29-year-old almost had a clear path to a 2-0 lead, only to see Bencic strike back. The 15th seed forced deuce and crushed the AD point to level up. Serving was still a struggle for Bencic, who moved her opponent to deuce in the third. A lucky break came on a wide return from Zhu, enabling the first service hold.

Zhu followed suit for a two-all score but watched Bencic quickly held to regain the lead. During critical points, the 15th seed erred into the net, allowing Zhu to secure the service. She pressed the Swiss star for breakpoints, waiting for her moment to lock it down and take a 4-3 lead. Bencic refused to go down another game and broke back to remain in touch through eight.

The players held serve to the tenth, and the Swiss took the 11th. Three straight errors from Bencic in the final game handed Zhu a shot in the tiebreak but witnessed the first serve come together, gaining a sizable lead. The 15th seed reached set point at 6-1, smacking a crosscourt to draw an error out of Zhu, taking the first in 64 minutes.

The experience of playing under pressure got Bencic through a challenging set where she committed 28 errors. The 71 percent success from the first serve was her ability to be dominant under tense situations. When the second got underway, Zhu picked up her service game and pressed Bencic on serve in the second. It was the longest game of the match at that point, going six minutes and two breaks until the 15th seed had one under her belt.

The players held serve through five games, with Zhu gaining leverage on her hold of serve. She dug into the sixth, scoring the break and the first lead since the set began. The 29-year-old dictated points on serve in the seventh, drawing errors from Bencic. The Swiss star showed frustration as her returns didn’t get back across the court, allowing Zhu to easily back up her success.

A third set loomed over Bencic, who served to extend the set in the eighth, only to watch Zhu finish off the rallies on simple winners. She had set point in play, smashing it near the net to close out the second in 44 minutes. Bencic had 17 unforced errors and a bad second serve that opened the door for the Chinese star to put her destiny into action.

Zhu led the way through four holds of serve, but her opponent picked up momentum and control to secure her side of the court. In the fifth game, Zhu erred on service, bringing up breakpoints for the 15th seed. After a nine-shot rally, Bencic had the break on the long return, taking the lead.

Bencic backed up the break to widen the gap on Zhu and two games from the match. Finding enough rhythm and patience, the Swiss star watched her opponent throw together great ball striking. Bencic fought her to deuce, but the 29-year-old took the service hold by the smallest of margins. Gaining a break in the eighth was not in the cards of Zhu, who made crucial mistakes on points to give Bencic the hold of serve after three breaks.

Playing for the match, the 15th seed got ahead of Zhu earning two match points. She blew one straight into the net on a stretched forehand but held the last one after a long rally where Zhu hit the ball just behind the baseline. It was all said and done in 2 hours and 39 minutes in a match where the competition was so close, but mistakes changed how much the lead changed throughout.

“Tennis is usually a roller coaster,” Bencic said during her on-court interview. “Sometimes it's enjoyable, and sometimes it’s not, but I’m really happy with how I fought in the end.” Both tallied 206 and ran over two miles throughout their battle. With Bencic back in the second week, she’ll await the winner between Elena Rybakina and Sorana Cirstea on Sunday.

Two Americans exit at the hands of Ostapenko and Wozniacki three setters.

Jelena Ostapenko celebrates her improvements during the third round of the US Open. 

Jelena Ostapenko kept the errors to less than half to come through another three-setter against Bernarda Pera, winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 on Court 17 at the US Open Friday. Caroline Wozniacki shined once again, defeating Jennifer Brady quickly in the final set, advancing on a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 score at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The former world number one continued her surprising run back at her home away from home, taking down Petra Kvitova in a clash of titans. With a big name out of the way, her facing Brady was a challenge of the powerful American’s forehand. Ostapenko tallied 120 errors in her first two rounds but somehow got through each of the three sets. With her miraculous way of reaching for victory, the 26-year-old didn’t want to do that again and instead earned her way into the second week.

Pera took advantage of Ostapenko’s slow start, taking the first set 6-4. Errors racked up in the double digits for the Latvian, who improved in the second set, winning 6-3. She had a three-game lead in the decider, but it slipped away. She managed to stay ahead of the American to clear her way to the round of 16 in 1 hour and 48 minutes.

Caroline Wozniacki waves to the crowd after dispatching Jennifer Brady from the US Open.

Wozniacki and Brady got into a competition of serves to love, with the American winning the day on two shutouts and a break to love. It was a fast-paced set that slowed down in the second, with neither player getting through a clean service.

The former world number one broke Brady three times, with two at the business end of the second to go for broke in the third. It was there she went on a five-game run before the 28-year-old found a way to dig into her service. Wozniacki made the final blow, smashing three shots for errors by Brady to finish her match in under two hours.