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DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Veterans have progressed as some of the top seeds struggled on the opening day of qualifying for the Australian Open women’s singles, which takes place in Dubai this season as players aim to book their place in the main draw of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year.
Roland Garros 2012 finalist Sara Errani of Italy, Wimbledon semi-finalist Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria, and current WTA doubles world number 4 Timea Babos of Hungary are some of the established names who have won awards. first round wins in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday
Former world number 5 Errani, who is ranked 17th in the draw, ousted 2018 Australian Open junior champion Liang En-shuo of Chinese Taipei 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 , in almost two hours of play.
“The courts are very fast, so it’s really difficult to play here for me, but I had a good preparation and I’m doing my best,” Errani said after the game. “I’m really happy to win today.”
“I love Australia so I hope to go there, but of course we have to try to do our best, everyone, what we can do, and it’s good to be here in Dubai “, continued Errani.
Seeded No.21 Pironkova beat Kyoka Okamura of Japan, 6-0, 6-1, in one hour and nine minutes. Pironkova aims to continue the Grand Slam success that she rekindled last year by reach the quarter-finals of the US Open 2020 during his first professional tournament in over three years.
No.7 seed Babos beat Marina Melnikova of Russia 6-3, 6-3 in one hour and 11 minutes. The Hungarian, who was also ranked in the Top 25 in singles, won three quarters of her first serve points and beat her opponent five times.
“I really wanted to play qualifying for the Australian Open because I didn’t have enough matches last year,” Babos said after his victory. “I felt it would be a good opportunity for me to play qualifying, but I didn’t expect to play in Dubai!”
“But I really like being here, I was here pretty much all of December,” Babos continued. “I’m happy to be back on the court and to compete again, that’s the most important. The first step is taken, two more to go, and I’m just happy.”
The top two ranked players who played on Sunday, however, both fell in the first round. France’s Oceane Dodin, seeded No. 2, fell to Bulgaria’s Isabella Shinikova, 7-5, 6-2. Breakpoint conversion rates tell the story of the surprise: Shinikova converted five of her six chances, while Dodin had 16 breakpoints but could only convert two.
No.4 seed Anna-Lena Friedsam was also beaten in an eye-catching first-round match, as the German lost to former Top 20 player Ana Konjuh of Croatia 6- 2, 6-7 (5), 6-4. Konjuh, whose race to the quarterfinals of the 2016 US Open helped propel her to the top of her career as a world No.20, notched nine aces en route to a victory in two hours and 18 minutes.
Konjuh, who is recovering from injuries, has finished 13-4 in the ITF Challenger events since September. “I was away for over a year and a half so just getting back on the pitch was a big step for me,” Konjuh said after his victory. “I realized that I needed smaller games to start, to get used to the games and the pace of the tournaments.”
“I’m really happy to have done well so far, I think, and I’m just excited to see what’s going to happen,” Konjuh continued.
The other seeds had a better chance to pass: No.6 seed Anna Kalinskaya of Russia beat Hungary’s Dalma Galfi, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, and the No.9 seed Katarina Zavatska of Ukraine ousted in 2019 Australian. Junior Open Champion Clara Tauson of Denmark, 6-3, 6-3.
Defending Australian Open junior champion Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva of Andorra also lost in the first round, defeating Turkey’s Cagla Buyukakcay, 6-4, 6-4.
The first round will continue on Monday with No.1 seed Kaja Juvan, No.3 seed Greet Minnen and former World No.5 Eugenie Bouchard all scheduled.
View full day 1 results on the Australian Open website here! And see all the qualifying draws here!
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