Sports
SERENA Williams breezed into the Australian Open third round but Petra Kvitova and Bianca Andreescu were the biggest casualties on the third day.
American Williams, who has dropped just five games in her two matches so far, beat Serbia’s Nina Stojanovic 6-3 6-0.
Czech ninth seed Kvitova, who reached the final in 2019, was stunned 6-4 1-6 6-1 by Sorana Cirstea of Romania.
Andreescu, playing in her first major since winning the 2019 US Open, lost 6-3 6-3 to tricky Taiwanese Hsieh Su-wei.
Last year’s finalist Garbine Muguruza continued her good form on the hottest day of the tournament so far with a 6-3 6-1 win over Russian Liudmila Samsonova.
Belarusian seventh seed Aryna Sabalenka also advanced, beating Daria Kasatkina of Russia 7-6 (7-5) 6-3.
However, Venus Williams lost to Sara Errina 6-1 6-0 – a scoreline that does not do the American justice after she played on with an injury.
Williams twisted her right ankle in the first set and had heavy strapping applied to it, as well as having further treatment to her already taped left knee.
The tearful 40-year-old looked as though she would withdraw but she composed herself and returned, despite being unable to serve or move properly, to see out the match against the Italian.
‘Relaxed’ Williams making serene progress
Serena Williams, who is chasing a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title, is doing well at conserving her energy, having spent just 125 minutes on court so far.
Since returning from maternity leave in 2018, the 39-year-old has reached four major finals but fallen short each time with the pressure of matching Australian Margaret Court’s record seeming to weigh her down.
But there has been no sign of that so far here as she overcame early resistance from world number 99 Stojanovic before cruising through to a third-round meeting with 19-year-old Russian Anastasia Potapova.
“I wasn’t thinking as much in the second [set], as I was in the first,” said Williams, who hit 27 winners. “I just think when I’m not thinking it’s more or less like I’m just totally relaxed.
“Even with my serve, I overthink it. But when I don’t think about it… it goes in.”
Andreescu’s comeback halted and ‘unexpected’ win for Cirstea
Andreescu and Cirstea were among the 72 players confined to their hotel rooms and unable to train on their arrival in Australia as part of a ‘hard’ quarantine imposed after there were positive coronavirus tests on their charter flights.
Canada’s Andreescu had withdrawn from last week’s warm-up event to protect her Australian Open chances and she moved well in her opening match against Mihaela Buzarnescu, which was her first match in 15 months after a knee injury.
However, the eighth seed appeared frustrated and uncomfortable against Hseih, falling to a 4-0 deficit in the first set before mounting a brief comeback.
In 30C temperatures, Andreescu was broken early in the second set and surrendered the match on a double fault.
“I got off the court and I was looking at my coach, and I said, ‘I’m just disappointed that today that was my all,’ Andreescu said.
“I know I gave my all today and to me, I think that was the most disappointing part.”
Hseih, known for her unorthodox shot-making, has beaten a number of top players, including then-world number one Simona Halep at Wimbledon in 2018.
Cirstea had complained before the tournament about the 14-day quarantine, saying the rules changed “overnight” after a passenger on her flight tested positive for Covid-19.
She advanced to the quarter-finals of the Grampians Trophy in the lead-up to the Grand Slam but admitted she had surprised herself against Kvitova.
“I think it’s impressive to come out of 15 days without hitting a ball and competing the way I did today, I wasn’t expecting it,” Cirstea said.
BBC Sport
– Feb. 10, 2021 @ 09:09 GMT /
Tags: Petra Kvitova and Bianca Andreescu out Serena Williams through
