BERLIN — Caroline Garcia from France defeated Germany’s Sabine Lisicki 7-6 (2), 6-3 as Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova powered past compatriot Karolina Pliskova and progressed from the first round of the Berlin Open.
The third-seeded Garcia was made to fight hard till she made the decisive break at 4-3 in the second set. The French player saved the three break points she faced and converted two from 13 opportunities. Both players hit 15 aces each.
“It´s funny because we were both practicing at the same place and we practiced with each other and (then) we had to face each other in the first round. It´s always this kind of story,” Garcia said according to AP.
“But it was really complicated … it´s always a good fight and I´m happy to see Sabine playing in a tournament again.”
The 33-year-old Lisicki reached the Wimbledon final in 2013 but has had to contend with numerous injury setbacks in recent years and is ranked 308th.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova earlier defeated compatriot Pliskova 6-3, 6-4. Croatia´s Donna Vekic defeated Russian player Varvara Gracheva 6-3, 6-2.
The Czechs had an equal number of unforced errors in the match, but World No.9 Kvitova fired 26 winners to Pliskova’s 19 and finished on top. Kvitova also won 68 percent of points returning the Pliskova second service.
World No.18 Pliskova remains in the midst of her own losing streak, having been defeated in her last four matches. Her most recent victory came over Donna Vekic at Stuttgart in April.
Vekic, as it turns out, was another first-round winner on Monday in Berlin, where she defeated Varvara Gracheva 6-3, 6-2. Vekic converted half of her 10 break points en route to the 1-hour and 27-minute victory.
Elsewhere, Venus Williams defeated Italy’s Camila Giorgi 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (6) in a first-round match that lasted more than three hours in the Rothesay Classic in Great Britain.
Williams, 43, recorded her first win over a top-50 opponent in four years after getting bounced in the first round last week at the Netherlands. Williams is currently ranked No. 697 in the world.
Third-seeded Magda Linette of Poland had to rally to defeat Italian Jasmine Paolini in three sets. Fifth-seeded Anhelina Kalinina and No. 6 Bernarda Pera advanced in straight sets.
Linda Fruhirtova needed just 52 minutes to advance and Caty McNally won in straight sets.
Meanwhile, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev and Denis Shapovalov progressed from the first round of the Halle Open, though some had an easier time at the grass-court tournament.
The second-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas needed 2 hours, 22 minutes before he eventually prevailed against French player Gregoire Barrere 6-7 (6), 6-4, 7-6 (3).
Tsitsipas, who was upset by veteran French player Richard Gasquet in Stuttgart last week, was headed for another loss as he trailed by a set and a break at 3-1 down in the second set, but he recovered for a second-round meeting with Nicolas Jarry.
Top-seeded Medvedev, who lost last year´s final, defeated American qualifier Marcos Giron 6-4 6-3. Shapovalov beat South African Lloyd Harris 7-6 (1), 6-4.
Two-time defending champion Matteo Berrettini has pulled out of the Queen’s Club Championships, the world number 21 said.
The 2021 Wimbledon runner-up withdrew from the Monte-Carlo Masters, Madrid Open and French Open due to a recurring abdominal injury before returning at the Stuttgart Open, where he suffered a first-round loss to fellow Italian Lorenzo Sonego.
“I’m really sad to have to withdraw from the tournament, and not get the chance to defend my title. I wish the tournament and everyone involved a successful week. I look forward to coming back next year,” the 27-year-old said.
