Elina Svitolina avoids lenghty battle to fight on at Australian Open.

 

Elina Svitolina celebrates after defeating Fiona Ferro in the opening round of the Australian Open. 

Elina Svitolina powered hard early but had to fight to finish her opening round of the Australian Open Monday. Fiona Ferro became feisty on the court during the second set that went to a tiebreak but saw the Ukrainian take it 6-1, 7-6(4) on Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park. It was the 27^th first-round win for Svitolina out of 28 appearances in Grand Slam tournaments. 

The Ukrainian came into the first slam of 2022 without a victory under her belt. The 15^th seed did have a win from last year in Chicago against Ferro, but her performance at Adelaide didn’t leave a large amount of confidence. With no victory yet from the Ukrainian, she needed to be sure to conduct well on the courts of Melbourne or suffer a tragic fate in the shape of an upset. 

The 15^th seed came out well with a counterattack of Ferro’s service. After forcing deuce, she managed to gain two AD point chances and close out the break in four minutes. It was easy pickings for the Ukrainian, who went on to back up the break in the second. Svitolina made it 3-0 allowing Ferro just one point before achieving the double break. The 27-year-old backed up another service game to comfortably sit ahead of the French player. 

Ferro struck out a victory for herself in the fifth gaining cheers from the crowd, but as Svitolina went back on serve, she pressed the issue to get back into control. A good hold for the Ukrainian put Ferro in a tight spot as she had to avoid letting the set seal up. Errors from Svitolina in the seventh game put her up 40-0 only to see the free points fade away. The Ukrainian fought hard to force deuce but blew two set points into the net. Ferro switched the tide for her AD point chance only to see it go off the post. 

Svitolina knew she had to make the next AD point hers for the takin and did so on a line drive winner for the set in 31 minutes. The 27-year-old had nine winners and kept her errors low to remain the strong player on the court. The Ukrainian opened service to begin the second set where she nearly had a shutout of the 24-year-old but kept her back enough. The opportunity for a break went south as Ferro brought out an offense while serving to hold the second. She continued to hold from her end to match Svitolina. 

After eight games, it remained even between the two players with Svitolina looking to advance on her skill. Ferro was there to make it hard in the ninth as she answered the shots that the 15^th seed hit over. After four breaks of deuce where Ferro had the control, she placed a winner far out of reach of Svitolina to gain the break and a 5-4 stand. When things looked good for the French star, she let up just enough to see her hopes for a set win falter. 

Errors from Ferro opened the door for the 15^th seed to make it hers to win, scoring a crosscourt winner for a five-all tie. The Ukrainian wasn’t in a spot to mess around and fired off a quick service game in the 11^th to sit 6-5 on Ferro. The 24-year-old was not giving it to the Ukrainian and forced a tiebreak to decide whether she would move on. It was still a tight race to the coveted set point as Ferro gave Svitolina no room to wriggle away. It was a four-all tie until two critical points from the Ukrainian gave her match point and the winning error on Ferro to close out her day in 1 hour and 32 minutes. 

“I’m really happy with the match today,” said Svitolina during her on-court interview. “Coming into the tournament, I was training a lot but not getting a lot of matches, but in the end, I’m happy with the level I showed today.” 

Belinda Bencic through in straight sets in Australian Open start

Belinda Bencic was in fine form during her opening round match against Kristina Mladenovic at the Australian Open. 

Belinda Bencic proved herself strong and composed to a victorious first round at the Australian Open Monday. The Swiss star added another win that put her closer to evening the series with Kristina Mladenovic winning 6-4, 6-3. Showing her level of skill and some frustration on herself, the 22^nd seed came through with a good win at Kia Arena on the grounds of Melbourne Park. 

The two went at it for the ninth time in their careers, with the French star still leading the series. They met only on the clay courts last season, with both splitting wins at Rome and Madrid. In their first hard-court march in three years, Bencic carried leverage in her time playing tennis while the Frenchwoman had yet to record a match played this year. Coming in cold to a slam is not often seen by a WTA veteran, but if her skill play was up to speed, it would give the reigning Olympic champion something to be concerned with. 

A battle ensued between the two players as Bencic faced heavy opposition quickly. Mladenovic overcame a 15-40 situation and forced deuce in what was becoming a lengthy fight. Though they only went two breaks, Mladenovic scored the break that put her opponent on notice. Bencic broke back with a late strike in the second, holding the only AD point for herself. The 22^nd seed got through her hold of serve, with the Frenchwoman following suit.

The next six games were played well when it came to the hold of serves from Bencic and Mladenovic. The 22^nd seed made sure that she held the important ninth game that gave her the key edge to go for the set. In the tenth, Bencic got Mladenovic into submission for three set points, bringing an end to 49 minutes of play. While the French star had twice as many winners, the 24-year-old made only seven compared to Mladenovic’s 17 that stood out as the difference-maker in what was a near-even fight. 

Bencic came into the second, scoring another shutout while on serve. She then backed it up with a break that gave her the biggest lead of the match. Mladenovic managed to break back in the third, but a double break for Bencic widened the gap 3-1. She consolidated the success of the third and made it 4-1, with Mladenovic struggling to find her way back in. She managed to get one to cut the margin down to a pair. 

Bencic answered in the seventh with a key hold of serve to sit a game from the second round. Mladenovic refused to give her the satisfaction and cut into another. It was Bencic who served for it in the ninth gaining two match points against Mladenovic, who fired a ball beyond the baseline to win in 1 hour and 29 minutes. 

Garbine Muguruza pushes through in first match at Sydney Tennis Classic

Garbine Muguruza clenches her fist during her second-round match against Ekaterina Alexandrova at the Sydney Tennis Classic

Garbine Muguruza had to finish strong in a challenging victory of her match at the Sydney Tennis Classic Wednesday. The Spaniard rushed through the opening set only to see Ekaterina Alexandrova challenge her in the second. Despite a second set tiebreak, the second seed won 6-1, 7-6(4) at Ken Rosewall Arena at Sydney Olympic Park. 

This was their third meeting with each getting a win over the other. Prior to the pandemic, Muguruza scored a critical win over the Russian that led to her winning Shenzhen. With it being on the hardcourt, she would have a slight advantage, despite it being her first match of the season. Alexandrova had her work cut out for her in a 6-4, 6-4 battle against Ena Shibahara. With plenty of effort, she felt capable of breaking through against the Spaniard. 

Muguruza didn’t give her a window of opportunity in the first, opening with a serve to love. The second seed broke Alexandrova to love in the following game and backed it up with another love service. A double break gave Muguruza a massive 4-0 run, but the Russian got the message and fought to get out front in the fifth. The Spaniard managed to force deuce on serve, gaining the break to make it five in a row. 

Alexandrova blanked the second seed for her first win in the sixth, but it was too little too late. The power player finished off the first in 25 minutes, edging the Russian for set point and scored the set lead. Alexandrova had two double faults and an offense that was silenced scoring four of nine and two of five from the second serve. 

When time came to open the second set, the 27-year-old made sure to hold her end of the court well. She backed it up with a late break of Muguruza, but fell during her next service in the third. Muguruza leveled the score after four and stayed tight with Alexandrova through eight games. A huge fight ensued in the tenth that spanned 13 points. The Russian had set point at 40-15 with Muguruza behind on serve. The Spaniard fought back and saved two more to force deuce. 

The 27-year-old had three more chances to force a deciding set only to see them vanish with Muguruza determined to keep the second set alive. On the fourth break, the Spaniard got the needed win to try and turn the tables. Alexandrova put all her troubles aside and went into the 11^th game shutting the second seed out. When it looked like she had leverage, Muguruza held firm on serve, allowing one point and brought up a tiebreak to be played. 

It was there that the experience of the former world number one came to light during critical moments. The 28-year-old went up four points before Alexandrova got on the board. Muguruza added two more to have match point opportunities. Like her opponent had three games back, the second seed struggled to contain match point four times. At 6-4, Muguruza got herself out of trouble with a winner that concluded a tense moment, ending 1 hour and 26 minutes. 

With her first match of 2022 under her belt, the world number three would have another Russian on the horizon in the shape of Daria Kasatkina, who she would face in Thursday’s quarterfinal.  

  

Bencic earns smooth victory against Haddad Maia at Sydney Tennis Classic

Belinda Bencic clenches her first during her first WTA match of 2022 at the Sydney Tennis Classic 

Belinda Bencic had a smooth opening win at the Sydney Tennis Classic Tuesday. The fast right-hander dispatched Beatriz Haddad Maia in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 at Ken Rosewall Arena at the Sydney Olympic Tennis Park. It marked the first win for the world number 24 this season with many more to come. 

With the withdraw of the world number four, the reigning Olympic champion in singles tennis took on the Brazilian for the first time. Haddad Maia made her debut in Sydney with victories in qualification setting herself to challenge the Swiss. Bencic played exhibitions in Abu Dhabi in December, but despite losing every match there, it didn’t leave her vulnerable. Bencic had a good track record against left-handers like the Brazilian, giving her a shot at conducting during the Australian run. 

Bencic opened the match by giving Haddad Maia a single point before holding the first. The Brazilian pulled off the same feat that put her in motion after the second. Bencic dealt with some fight in the third and answered back with a break of the 25-year-old in the fourth. The Swiss star backed it up for a three-game lead only to see Haddad Maia cut the margin down. It was a short-lived feat for the qualifier as Bencic upped the ante taking a 5-2 stand. 

Haddad Maia made sure to hold serve in the business end of the set due to her opponent getting back on the ball in the ninth. It was there that the Swiss star opened to a 40-0 run and scored set point to end things in 33 minutes. While Haddad Maia had a better output from her first serve than Bencic, the 24-year-old scored 80 percent of points and outscored her 27-19. 

The Brazilian served to start the second stanza with Bencic comfortably matching her. The Swiss waited for her moment to strike in the third and captured the break with ease. Bencic continued her march through Haddad Maia by backing up the break and scoring the double that made it 4-1. With another relatively easy hold, Bencic stood one game from the second round with Haddad Maia holding on to her potential last serve. The Brazilian made some big return winners while gaining a path to victory on return errors by Bencic. 

When the 24-year-old got back to service, she cleanly ran through the eighth game to dispatch Haddad Maia in 1 hour and 10 minutes to advance to the round of 16. “It’s tricky to play the first match of the year, Bencic said during her on-court interview. “Even though the season is long I actually felt well today and it’s just about taking it easy, not putting so much pressure at the start of the year just take time to get into it.” 

She’ll get into the second round facing the winner between Oceane Dodin and Guiliana Olmos on Wednesday. 

Paula Badosa tunes up to defeat Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets

Jelena Ostapenko let up too much to fall out early at the Sydney Tennis Classic Monday. Despite a fantastic start against Paula Badosa, the world number nine got into a new gear and won 7-6(1), 6-1 at Ken Rosewall Arena. It was a key win for the fifth seed, who wanted to forget about last week and be at the best of her gameplay. 

The two met for the third time with the Latvian evening the series with Badosa at St. Petersburg last year. Since her WTA 1000 title win at Indian Wells, the Spaniard completed 2021 with a pair of losses at the WTA Masters. With a loss in Adelaide looming over her, the 24-year-old came into Sydney with her mission set high. As Ostapenko stood as her first obstacle, the Spaniard hoped to etch another win and make Sydney a big jump before the coming slam. Despite being cut short at Indian Wells, Ostapenko had an opportunity to build upon how well she did at the tail end and bring a lot of light onto her game. 

She followed Badosa to open the set and matched what the 24-year-old brought to the court. They went to hold serve through the next four games until a moment in the seventh saw Ostapenko force deuce. Badosa showed no struggle, managing to find the game point and stay 4-0 on service. Ostapenko followed suit and found a way to strike in the ninth with three breakpoints on the fifth seed. A double fault from Badosa caused her to lose focus and hand the Latvian her first chance for the set. 

The Spaniard responded with a jump to 40-0 putting Ostapenko behind. She managed to force deuce, but after a break, the fifth seed managed to score the break back. With things back on track, Badosa held firm with the serve followed by a serve to love from Ostapenko that sent them to a tiebreak. It was there that the fifth seed had the Latvian right where she wanted her. 

Winning two points on the Ostapenko’s serve, the 24-year-old ran to a four-point run, allowed the Latvian a point, and went on to win the set with the next two points. It was a 55-minute battle that saw them doing well on the first serve, but an edge for Badosa minimizing forehand errors led to her leading the match. 

The Latvian began service in the second but faced an offensive Badosa, who pressed the issue of conducting her attack and won the first break. Ostapenko managed to break back but suffered a double break by the fifth seed. She backed it up in the fourth despite having problems with her ball toss. Badosa continued her tear through Ostapenko, who dropped another service game. 

It was soon 5-1 for the fifth seed, who had the Latvian all but out of the tournament. Ostapenko erred too much during the final serve that gave Badosa the win on a long ball right in front of her. It was a 1 hour and 21-minute effort from the fifth seed, who will await her second-round match on Wednesday. 

Iga Swiatek scores three victory, avenging US Open loss to Victoria Azarenka

Iga Swiatek clenches her first during her match with Victoria Azarenka at the Adelaide International 

Iga Swiatek got sweet revenge while keeping her title defense alive at the Adelaide International Friday night. The Pole, who lost devastatingly at the US Open last season, went three sets with Victoria Azarenka to beat her 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 on Center Court at the Memorial Drive Tennis Center. 

The Belorussian faced Swiatek for the second time, hoping that she would gain another victory like she did in their US Open third round, where she won 6-4, 6-2. Getting another would not only make it a second victory but also kill Swiatek’s chances to clinch a second consecutive title in Adelaide. Both won their first two matches this season in straight sets, but knew that challenges stood right in front of them. 

The two opened the match with comfortable holds, but by the fourth game, with Swiatek in the lead, she managed to break Azarenka only to be broken back. Her one-game margin didn’t last long when the Belorussian made it three-all, but after a hold from the 20-year-old, she scored a break in the eighth and never looked back. Taking the set in 43 minutes, Swiatek remained solid while her opponent had two double faults and a bad return game. 

In the second, it was Azarenka finding her time to conduct business. She blanked Swiatek in her opening service and bided her time to strike big. After taking a 2-1 lead with the hold of serve, Azarenka jumped to a 40-0 lead, let a point slip, and scored her second break of the world number nine. She put three games between the two of them after the fifth and kept her behind till she had the set at 6-2 that took 39 minutes. Despite committing her third double fault of the match, the Belorussian did much better on the return side, silencing Swiatek’s overall offense. 

The Pole brushed it off and went back to work in the decider where she took control with a break of the 32-year-old. She had the double break just before she made it 4-0 and never looked back at the world number 27. By the time she got on the board with a victory in the fifth, Swiatek avoided losing on deuce during her service and held her opponent down against the serve, and won it all on her second match point. It nearly went two hours, but for Swiatek, the victory was sweet revenge, while maintaining her title defense. 

“Winning against such an experience played is still pretty new for me,” she said after the match. “That was my third match where I actually could show what I practiced during the preseason. That’s really satisfying because I had this problem last year where I was practicing really great and I felt like I could do more on matches. This time it’s different. It’s actually going my way, so I’m pretty happy about that.”

She would look forward to seeing if happiness was behind world number one Ashleigh Barty, who stood between her and a second straight final.  

Azarenka's firm game defeats Hon in straight sets

Victoria Azarenka brought her best back to the hard courts at the Adelaide International against Priscila Hon. 

Victoria Azarenka played another fine performance at the Adelaide International Thursday. A straight-sets victory against Priscilla Hon moved the Belorussian through to the quarterfinal with a 6-3, 7-5 score on centre court at the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre. It gave her back-to-back impressive wins with a game-style performance that is normally seen midseason. 

After a glorious start to her 2022 season, Azarenka looked ahead to meeting with the Australian for the first time. The Belorussian’s victory over eighth-ranked Paula Badosa, who won only five combined games in the straight-sets result. With the 32-year-old notching a top ten win in her first match of the year, she wished for more and would target Hon from start to finish. The 23-year-old showed a lot of spunk and impressed many in her big defeat of Petra Kvitova. Though she went three sets against the Czech, it brewed confidence strong enough to test the likes of a former world number one.  

Hon opened the scoring with a trade of points between herself and Azarenka. An ace placed her in a spot to seal up the service, getting it on a long return from the Belorussian. The 32-year-old made sure to stay out front during her service game and cap the score even. The young Australian was forced to deuce in the third but managed to find her place near the net and close out the win from there. 

After six games elapsed in the set, Azarenka found herself controlling the scoreboard. Her strong game win in the fourth was followed by a break to love of Hon. She went on to back it up, carrying a three-game winning streak. Azarenka tried to continue her intensity against the service of Hon, but the Aussie managed to force deuce and snap the short slide she was on. It didn’t take anything from Azarenka, who returned to serve dominantly and broke Hon for the set that took 38 minutes for her to accomplish.

The former world number one outplayed her on shots from the serve and made just nine unforced errors compared to Hon’s 19. Their game was even on other fronts, but as the first game of the second set got underway, Azarenka was there rushing through her service. She had Hon struggling while she remained consistent on the other side of the ball. It resulted in the second break of serve on the day, but in the third, the 23-year-old broke back and backed it up with a hold in the following game. 

Azarenka tried to get out front and keep Hon back but the wild card struck back to keep things even after six games. Azarenka had enough of her opponent being close to her and notched the serve in the seventh. The Belorussian had chances to break Hon and sit a game from the match, but errors caused her to lose control and level Hon back. She made up for lost ground and sealed the ninth to ensure her a shot at defeating the Australian. 

Hon denied her that chance and forced a five-all tie, pressing an opportunity at forcing a third set. Azarenka struggled to get it locked down on her first chance with a net-front return going sour. She didn’t miss on her second try and hoped that with one game left in the second would be the clincher. Hon gave in and set up Azarenka with two match points that came on a final error in the 12^th completing 1 hour and 27 minutes. 

“I felt like I played well but there were some occasions where I kind of got myself into trouble with hesitation, but I have to give it to Priscilla,” Azarenka said after the match. “She really defended well and got me into that mode of not committing fully but glad to finish strong.”

She’ll need to bring everything into the last eight when she takes on defending champion Iga Swiatek. “I think she feels pretty comfortable here,” said the Belorussian. “We had an interesting match in the past so I’m looking forward to that battle.”