MONTREAL: On the opening day of the WTA Montreal Open hardcourt tournament, former world number ones Karolina Pliskova and Victoria Azarenka navigated through rain delays to secure their spots in the next round.
Karolina Pliskova, a standout from the Czech Republic, triumphed over China’s Zhu Lin, earning herself a ticket to the second round where she will face the current world number one, Iga Swiatek of Poland, who holds the titles of both the US and French Open champion.
Pliskova, who was the runner-up in Montreal in 2021, engaged in a challenging battle against Zhu. Their match extended over two hours and 22 minutes, with Pliskova ultimately prevailing 6-3, 6-7 (8/10), 6-2.
The rain intervened just as the tie-breaker was poised at 8-8, with Pliskova narrowly missing two match-point opportunities. When play resumed, Zhu initially took the first two points, but Pliskova made a triumphant comeback in the final set, breaking Zhu’s serve three times to secure her victory.
Reflecting on the tense situation, Pliskova shared, “I was prepared for both scenarios since it was tied at 8-8. You have to be mentally ready to potentially lose those points as well.” She acknowledged the difficulty of the situation when victory seems close yet so far, emphasizing the need to persevere and maintain the fighting spirit.
Pliskova’s upcoming match against Swiatek carries an intriguing history, with Swiatek holding a 2-0 record against her. Notably, Swiatek secured a comprehensive 6-0, 6-0 victory in the 2021 Rome final, and then triumphed in a three-set battle in Stuttgart four months ago.
Recalling her past encounters with Swiatek, Pliskova stated, “Although I wasn’t close to victory in April, I felt that I had identified the strategies I need to employ against her. She’s not one to give away free points, so I need to strike the right balance between aggressive and controlled play.”
Meanwhile, Victoria Azarenka, ranked 19th in the world and seeded 16th from Belarus, achieved a convincing 6-3, 6-0 victory over Poland’s Magda Linette, who occupies the 25th spot in the rankings. This match featured two semi-finalists from this year’s Australian Open.
The 34-year-old Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, showcased her resilience as she returned from a three-hour rain delay between sets. She dominated the second set, claiming 24 out of 31 points and avenging a prior loss to Linette at the Miami Open.
Azarenka’s triumph marked her 187th career victory at the WTA 1000 level, surpassing the previous record held by Simona Halep. This achievement underscores her consistent performance since the inception of this level in 2009.
In another riveting encounter, US 13th seed Madison Keys secured a 6-2, 7-5 victory over the legendary Venus Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, in a match lasting an hour and 51 minutes.
Keys, 28 years old, recently claimed her seventh WTA title at Eastbourne. Her victory set the stage for a second-round clash against Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, ranked 49th, who eliminated Croatia’s Donna Vekic, the 22nd seed, with a score of 7-6 (7/3), 6-2.
