Australian Open women’s round-up: Sharapova, Kerber progress with dominant wins in round 1

Maria Sharapova made a successful return to Australian Open, beating Germany’s Tatjana Maria in straight sets.
The 30-year-old Russian, ranked 61, breezed past Maria 6-1, 6-4 to make the second round.
Sharapova hit 14 winners to her opponent’s two in the first set, breaking her serve thrice. The German put up a better fight in the second, hitting five winners and breaking Sharapova’s serve once. But Sharapova, with eight winners and two breaks of serve, clinched the set 6-4.

Kerber crushes Friedsam to enter second round

Red-hot former world number one and 2016 champion Angelique Kerber blitzed into the Australian Open second round on Tuesday, dropping just four games in a comfortable victory.

Seeded only 21st, the left-hander is one of the form players heading into the first Grand Slam of the year, and she laid down her title credentials against fellow German Anna-Lena Friedsam.

Kerber sprinted through the first set 6-0 in just 17 minutes before her 388th ranked opponent woke up and started a fightback.

She broke twice on Hisense Arena to make a match of it in the second set before Kerber completed the job 6-4.

Pliskova squanders a match point before making second round

Former world number one Karolina Pliskova moved smoothly into the second round of the Australian Open with a steady 6-3, 6-4 win over Veronica Cepede Royg on Tuesday.

The six seed was largely untroubled by her 80th-ranked opponent until serving for the match at 5-3 in the second set. Pliskova squandered a match point as she was broken by Cepede Royg. But she made no mistake in the next game, breaking the Paraguayan to secure victory in one hour and 32 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

Konta dispels injury scares in straight-set win over Brengle

British hope Johanna Konta showed no signs of her recent injury troubles Tuesday as she dismantled Madison Brengle to continue the dismal US start to the year’s first Grand Slam.

An incredible 12 of the 15 American players on court on day one were dumped out of the event – including women’s title fancies Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens and CoCo Vandeweghe plus Jack Sock and John Isner on the men’s side.

And Brengle became the unlucky 13th American to head for the exit door after impressive ninth seeded Konta overpowered her 6-3, 6-1 on the back of eight aces and 37 winners in just 66 minutes on Hisense Arena.

Garcia in round 2 after a nervy, straight-set victory

Tenacious eighth-seed Caroline Garcia overcame first round wobbles to fight her way into the second round, showing no signs of her back problem.

The Frenchwoman, who had a breakout year in 2017, winning two titles and qualifying for the WTA Finals, ground past Germany’s Carina Witthoeft 7-5, 6-3.

She hit 33 winners but also made 29 unforced errors on her way to victory.

Her nerves were clearly jangling in the second set. She was 5-0 up but gave away three games before wrapping up the match.

Women’s singles 1st round results:

Johanna Konta (GBR x9) bt Madison Brengle (USA) 6-3, 6-1

Bernarda Pera (USA) bt Anna Blinkova (RUS) 6-2, 6-2

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE x20) bt Kristie Ahn (USA) 6-1, 7-5

Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) bt Richel Hogenkamp (NED) 6-1, 6-2

Lucie Safarova (CZE x29) bt Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) 7-5, 6-3

Karolina Pliskova (CZE x6) bt Veronica Cepede (PAR) 6-3, 6-4

Angelique Kerber (GER x21) bt Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) 6-0, 6-4

Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) bt Kurumi Nara (JPN) 7-5, 6-4

Caroline Garcia (FRA x8) bt Carina Witthoeft (GER) 7-5, 6-3

Elena Vesnina (RUS x16) bt Ons Jabeur (TUN) 6-3, 6-4

Maria Sharapova (RUS) bt Tatjana Malek (GER) 6-1, 6-4

Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) bt Christina McHale (USA) 6-3, 6-2

Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) bt Oceane Dodin (FRA) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5)

Sorana Cirstea (ROM) bt Zarina Diyas (KAZ) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3

Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) bt Lizette Cabrera (AUS) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4

Donna Vekic (CRO) bt Nao Hibino (JPN) 7-5, 6-3

Madison Keys (USA x17) bt Qiang Wang (CHN) 6-1, 7-5

(with inputs from AFP)