Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Wednesday overcame a first-set scare to beat Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (8/6), 6-2 in the second round of the National Bank Open.
“Well, for sure it’s nice to have some challenges and overcome them,” said Swiatek, who was coming off a victory last week at home at the Poland Open. “It wasn’t an easy first round, but I’m happy that I stayed solid.”
Swiatek advanced to face 14th-seeded Karolina Muchova, a 7-5, 6-4 winner over Sorana Cirstea. Swiatek beat Muchova this year in the final of the French Open.
Photo: AP
“We have to be ready for the next match and kind of expect that anything can happen because tennis can be pretty unpredictable,” Swiatek said. “You know, one player can have a bad day. At the same time the other one can play the best tennis of their life.”
In the night session, second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka beat Petra Martic 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) in the hardcourt event. Sabalenka is the Australian Open champion.
“Especially on this surface, I was really struggling with all her slices,” Sabalenka said. “I think I need some time to adjust to this surface. I hope the next match I will play a little bit better, but overall, I’m just happy to get through this tough match.”
Photo: AFP
Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, seeded ninth, beat Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 7-5.
Vondrousova set up a match against sixth seed Coco Gauff, a 6-2, 6-2 winner over Katie Boulter. Gauff won last week in Washington for her fourth career title.
Third seed Elena Rybakina outlasted Jennifer Brady 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 in a match that was suspended on Tuesday because of rain.
Fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula topped Yulia Putintseva 6-4, 6-4, while 10th-seeded Daria Kasatkina edged Anna Blinkova 6-2, 7-5.
Canadian Leylah Fernandez also advanced, beating 11th-seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia 7-5, 5-7, 6-3. Fernandez faces Danielle Collins, a 6-4, 6-2 winner over eighth-seeded Maria Sakkari.
In the late match, seventh-seeded Petra Kvitova, the 2012 winner, beat 2021 champion Camila Giorgi 6-2, 5-7, 6-0.
In the women’s doubles at the IGA Stadium & Aviva Centre, Taiwan’s Latisha Chan and Yang Zhaoxuan of China defeated Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand 2-6, 6-2, 10-4.
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