The first round of the 2017 Apia International in Sydney’s Olympic Park continued on Monday and some of the tournament’s biggest names were in action for the first time this week.
Inside Ken Rosewall Arena, it was Sam Stosur’s turn to give the local fans something to be happy about but once again Stosur and playing in Australia just didn’t mix well as the Aussie was blown off the court by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in two quick sets.
The following match between Caroline Wozniacki and Monica Puig proved to be much more competitive. The former world #1 and the Olympic gold medalist put on a thrilling three-set battle that ultimately saw Puig leaving empty-handed, as Wozniacki’s famed consistency proved to be the winning asset.
In the evening, a thrilling battle of young prospects kept the crowd entertained. Aussie fan favorite Daria Gavrilova took on Croatia’s Donna Vekic, who made the main draw via the lucky loser role. Vekic put on a competitive match, forcing a second-set tiebreak that decided the match in favor of Gavrilova.
The tournament’s second round will complete on Tuesday with seeds Angelique Kerber and Agnieszka Radwanska in action inside Sydney’s Olympic Park. Keep checking back to Women’s Tennis Blog for all the latest from the 2017 Apia International, all week long.
MORE PHOTOS FROM THE 2017 APIA INTERNATIONAL SYDNEY:
- Sunday: Main-draw play kicks off, injuries plague the tournament
- Saturday: Second-round of qualifying completes + player practices
- Friday: The start of qualifying action + player practices
Great photos as usual. Kudos to Jimmie!