Tennis News

MIAMI, FL, USA – The second Premier Mandatory event of the season is set to kick off at the Miami Open. Qualifying starts on Monday and main draw matches will begin in earnest on Tuesday.

The draw was conducted on Sunday at the Miami Beach Lacoste store; reigning BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global champion Dominika Cibulkova and American Christina McHale were both on hand to help assist placing the seeds. Here’s what you need to know:

Main draw is out for @MiamiOpen. pic.twitter.com/9RDR0VWDhx

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) March 20, 2017

Top 8 seeds: Angelique Kerber, Karolina Pliskova, Simona Halep, Dominika Cibulkova, Agnieszka Radwanska, Garbiñe Muguruza, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Madison Keys. NOTE: No.1 Serena Williams withdrew from the tournament on Tuesday.
Top half: Kerber, Halep, Kuznetsova, Keys.
Bottom half: Pliskova, Cibulkova, Radwanska, Muguruza
Projected quarterfinals: Kerber vs. Kuznetsova, Halep vs. Keys, Muguruza vs. Cibulkova, Radwanska vs. Pliskova.
Last year’s final: Victoria Azarenka d. Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-3, 6-2.

? on the ? for @AngeliqueKerber pic.twitter.com/gQJX9WzfEX

— Miami Open (@MiamiOpen) March 19, 2017

Angelique Kerber plays her first tournament since reclaiming the No.1 ranking; nemesis Kasatkina looms.

Kerber was set to chase 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, who wrested the top spot from the German after winning her record-breaking Australian Open title, at the BNP Paribas Open before the American withdrew from both Indian Wells and Miami due to a left knee injury. As the de facto No.1 in the California desert, she was on fire against countrywoman Andrea Petkovic, and struggled to defeat Pauline Parmentier before running into an in-form Elena Vesnina, who went on to win the title.

Hoping to rebound in Miami, Kerber will have to hit the ground running should she face her projected third round opponent, No.31 seed Daria Kasatkina. The young Russian has beaten Kerber in both of their 2017 meetings, including a three-set tussle at the Qatar Total Open. Should she make it out of that section, she’s almost gauranteed a tough quarterfinal opponent as she could face one of No.11 seed Venus Williams, No.22 seed Kristina Mladenovic, or Indian Wells runner-up and No.7 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Well that was fun ? thanks for the always amazing tournament @BNPPARIBASOPEN and thanks for all the support. Love you guys ? pic.twitter.com/YdUxxHH9cU

— Madison Keys (@Madison_Keys) March 15, 2017

Time for Keys to shine in Miami?

The second quarter is anchored by a pair of players coming back from injury. No.3 seed Simona Halep had a solid start in the California desert before getting outplayed eventual semifinalist Mladenovic in straight sets. She could face further French resistence in the fourth round against No.21 seed Caroline Garcia.

No.8 Madison Keys has played just three matches in 2017, but answered many questions about her form in her relatively brief Indian Wells return. Crushing Japanese teenager Naomi Osaka, the American acquitted herself well against former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, and could be primed to blow through her section, provided she makes it past No.10 seed Johanna Konta.

First #WTA Premier Mandatory title!@EVesnina001 battles past Kuznetsova 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-4 to win @BNPParibasOpen! pic.twitter.com/4sVJAMKkN1

— WTA (@WTA) March 19, 2017

Vesnina shoots for Sunshine Double in tough third quarter.

Elena Vesnina surprised the world when she stormed to her biggest career title at the BNP Paribas Open; should she replicate the form that helped her beat Kerber, Williams, Mladenovic, and Kuznetsova in succession, the Russian will absolutely be one to watch in Crandon Park.

Her projected fourth round opponent is Cibulkova, the highest seed in the quarter. The Slovak showed signs of promise in Indian Wells, pulling out a pair of tight three-setters that appeared to give her the kind of big-match confidence she took through her stellar 2016 season.

Hello Key Biscayne!! ??
Happy with my double practice today…
Doble sesión de entrenooo…@MiamiOpen @WTA pic.twitter.com/41JE7kZqEw

— Garbiñe Muguruza (@GarbiMuguruza) March 19, 2017

Muguruza to hit the (Danish) wall?

The third big name to watch is No.6 seed Garbiñe Muguruza, who comes to Miami after a narrow loss to Karolina Pliskova last week. The Spaniard snapped Elina Svitolina’s 15-match winning streak en route to the quarterfinals, and will likely face more surging opposition in the fourth round in the form of No.12 seed Caroline Wozniacki.

Muguruza leads their head-to-head 3-1, but the pair haven’t played since 2015, when the former No.2 stunned the Dane on the way to her first Grand Slam final. Wozniacki picked up from where she left off at the end of 2016, reaching back-to-back finals in Doha and Dubai, and lost a close three-setter to Mladenovic in Indian Wells.

Still, the former No.1 will need to watch out for Olympic champion Monica Puig or rising American star Lauren Davis, two of the most dangerous floaters in the draw; both are in her section.

Hola Miami!!! First hit on center court today was ?Cant wait to get started ? pic.twitter.com/Q6BvuRVIQS

— Monica Puig (@MonicaAce93) March 18, 2017

Aussie Open rematches abound in Quarter No.4.

Before Svitolina got on a roll and won two straight titles in Chinese Taipei and Dubai, she took a tough three-set loss to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at the Australian Open. The Ukrainian will have a shot at avenging that defeat in Miami, as the No.9 seed is slated to face the No.17 seed in the third round.

Pavlyuchenkova has since backed up her run to the quarterfinals in Melbourne, reaching the last eight in Indian Wells with a win over Cibulkova along the way.

Speaking of big wins Down Under, Mirjana Lucic-Baroni’s fairytale fortnight started in the second round when she slid past Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round. Radwanska is projected to face the Croat once again provided she gets past a qualifier or Wang Qiang, who’s had a stealthy rise up the rankings in 2017 after reaching the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Thank you Indian Wells!?☀️ Miami next✈️ pic.twitter.com/GQZqzfSD1c

— Karolina Pliskova (@KaPliskova) March 18, 2017

Pliskova vs. Ostapenko, Part II.

We didn’t get to see how Karolina Pliskova would fare against young hotshot Jelena Ostapenko in Indian Wells after the draw was reshuffled. The Latvian went on to push Dominika Cibulkova to three sets while Pliskova edged past Monica Puig after moving into the top half of the draw.

The pair played a dramatic match in Melbourne, and the stage seems set for it to happen again should Ostapenko make it past her qualifier in the first round.

From there, things ease up for Pliskova, who is projected to play some of the first quarter’s struggling prospects in No.27 seed Yulia Putintseva and either No.15 seed Barbora Strycova or No.18 seed CoCo Vandeweghe, all three have lacked that extra spark since earning impressive results to start the season.

https://t.co/rWPukzFOod: Miami Open Wild Cards for Anisimova, Gibbs and Mmoh; Day, Kirkov Receive Qualifying Wild… https://t.co/cFrNt2bDrH pic.twitter.com/eobIWigSbR

— Colette Lewis (@zootennis) March 10, 2017

Next Gen names to watch.

The Miami Open draw boasts a diverse set of main draw and qualifying wildcards, including Kuala Lumpur champion Ashleigh Barty and St. Petersburg semifinalist Natalia Vikhlyantseva. Another wildcard to watch out for is 15-year-old American Amanda Anisimova. A junior standout, Anisimova reached the final of last year’s French Open and nearly qualified for the senior-level main draw at the US Open.

Hoping to follow in the footsteps of colleague and countrywoman Kayla Day, Anisimova opens against a qualifier with a possible upset opportunity against No.25 seed Roberta Vinci.

.@ChristinaMcHale and @Cibulkova are on hand for the @MiamiOpen draw ceremony! pic.twitter.com/osb7ezfPgU

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) March 19, 2017

Notable first round matches:

Julia Goerges vs. Alison Riske
Mandy Minella vs. Kristyna Pliskova
Eugenie Bouchard vs. Ashleigh Barty
Christina McHale vs. Annika Beck
Belinda Bencic vs. Sara Errani
CiCi Bellis vs. Ajla Tomljanovic
Yanina Wickmayer vs. Lucie Safarova
Jelena Jankovic vs. Yaroslava Shvedova
Bethanie Mattek-Sands vs. Katerina Siniakova

Notable second round matches:

Angelique Kerber vs. Laura Siegemund
Shelby Rogers vs. Daria Kasatkina
Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Kristyna Pliskova
Caroline Garcia vs. Peng Shuai
Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Wang Qiang
Barbora Strycova vs. Monica Niculescu
Andrea Petkovic vs. CoCo Vandeweghe
Jelena Ostapenko vs. Karolina Pliskova

THE WINNERS

Heather Watson roared back from a set down to dispatch Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, to win her third career title at the Abierto Monterrey Afirme.

“I don’t know where to start,” Watson said. “I’m extremely happy today. I was nervous coming into the match, and I’ve never beaten Kirsten before – she’s a great player who really makes you work for it.”

With Johanna Konta also reaching the quarterfinals in Monterrey and Naomi Broady matching the effort in Kuala Lumpur, it was the largest contingent of British women in a WTA quarterfinal in one week since 1978 (Eastbourne).

Read the Monterrey final match recap here.

Elina Svitolina survived a stormy Sunday final against an inspired Eugenie Bouchard to capture her fourth career title at the BMW Malaysian Open, 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-5. Winning in Kuala Lumpur brings Svitolina up to a career-high ranking of No.14, and back into the Top 15 for the first time since last summer.

“It was a long day,” Svitolina said after the match, which was interrupted by rain four times. “Emotionally, I’m really exhausted now.”

Read the Kuala Lumpur final match recap here.

GAME, SET, MATCH: WTA Insider

Game: Heather Watson avoids disaster to win the Abierto Monterrey Afirme.

Things weren’t looking bright for Watson when she landed in Monterrey. She was on a string of three tough three-set losses, her tennis bag was literally being held together by a safety pin, and she lost half her laundry. Sure enough, there she was in the first round struggling against Misaki Doi and about to succumb to full-body cramps.

But she found a way to get the 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 win and went on to lose just one more set en route to her third career title. All this with her mother Michelle serving as her coach – both on and off court – throughout the week. This was the most impressive title run of the week, with the No.84 Watson knocking out No.2 seed Caroline Wozniacki and No.4 seed Caroline Garcia in straight sets.

Heather Watson wins Monterrey, her 3rd title. Shares a moment with her mom Michelle, who was her coach this week. pic.twitter.com/DivLR8Bx1w

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) March 6, 2016

Heather’s mother Michelle had never been courtside for Watson’s first two title wins. She couldn’t have asked for a better present on Mother’s Day.

Set: Elina Svitolina gets her junior Wimbledon revenge.

In a rematch of the 2012 Wimbledon junior final, Svitolina outlasted both a rain-interrupted final and a resurging Eugenie Bouchard 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-5 to win her first title of the season at the BMW Malaysian Open. The No.2 seed took a wildcard into the event, and though she struggled to get past four players ranked outside the Top 130 to make the final, she saved her best for last against Bouchard.

It was a strong week for both finalists, though Bouchard was undoubtedly disappointed to come so close to her first title since 2014 – she served for the match at 5-4 in the third only to get broken. She has already made two finals this year and didn’t drop a set in Kuala Lumpur until the final. The consistency and decision-making has improved tremendously since last year, though her struggle to remain healthy on-court continues. She complained of dizziness during the final but played through against medical advice.

“The medical staff also strongly advised me not to continue during the second set but there was no way I was going to retire in a final,” she told TheStar.com. “I think I gave it my all and I fought well. Now I just need to go on to my next tournament and do well there.”

Match: Dry spell or oasis?

The tour now turns to two of its biggest events of the season at this week’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California before hitting the opposite coast at the Miami Open. With so many questions lingering about the state of the Top 10, all eyes are on the desert to see whether the tour’s elite can offer some stability after two unpredictable months.

Read more about what to expect during March Madness here.

RANKING MOVERS
Notable singles ranking movers for the week of March 7, 2016.

Heather Watson (GBR), +31 (No.84 to 53): Watson gave her mother the best Mother’s Day gift she could ask for this week. As her mum looked on in the stands, Watson clinched the third title of her career at Monterrey and made biggest ranking jump of the week, vaulting up to No.53.

Naomi Broady (GBR), +20 (No.96 to 76): Broady made her second WTA semifinal of her career at Kuala Lumpur and jumped 20 spots to a career high ranking of No.76.

Kirsten Flipkens (BEL), +14 (No. 73 to 59): Flipkens is back into the Top 60 after a stellar run in Monterrey, which saw her reach her first final since 2013. 

Eugenie Bouchard (CAN), +10 (No.52 to 42): With a final appearance in Kuala Lumpur – her second final of the year – Bouchard continues her upward trend back up rankings with a spot inside the Top 50.

Elina Svitolina (UKR), +5 (No.19 to 14): Svitolina captured the title in Kuala Lumpur and took home an even sweeter prize: a brand new career-high ranking of No.14.

Read Ranking Watch for in-depth analysis of this week’s ranking jumps.

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS

BNP Paribas Open
Indian Wells, USA
Premier | $6,134,605 | Hard, Outdoors
Wednesday, March 9 – Sunday March 20

Miami Open
Miami, USA
Premier | $6,134,605 | Hard, Outdoors
Tuesday, March 22 – Sunday, April 3

TOP 20 PLAYER SCHEDULES

1. Serena Williams – Indian Wells, Miami
2. Angelique Kerber – Indian Wells, Miami
3. Agnieszka Radwanska – Indian Wells, Miami
4. Garbiñe Muguruza – Indian Wells, Miami
5. Simona Halep – Indian Wells, Miami
6. Carla Suárez Navarro – Indian Wells, Miami
7. Maria Sharapova – Miami
8. Belinda Bencic – Indian Wells, Miami
9. Petra Kvitova – Indian Wells, Miami
10. Roberta Vinci – Indian Wells, Miami
11. Flavia Pennetta – (retired)
12. Venus Williams – Indian Wells, Miami
13. Lucie Safarova – Indian Wells, Miami
14. Elina Svitolina – Indian Wells, Miami
15. Victoria Azarenka – Indian Wells, Miami
16. Sara Errani – Indian Wells, Miami
17. Svetlana Kuznetsova – Indian Wells, Miami
18. Ana Ivanovic – Indian Wells, Miami
19. Karolina Pliskova – Indian Wells, Miami
20. Jelena Jankovic – Indian Wells Miami

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Best wishes to those celebrating birthdays this week:

An-Sophie Mestach (BEL) – March 7, 1994
Petra Kvitova (CZE) – March 8, 1990
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) – March 9, 1982
Belinda Bencic (SUI) – March 10, 1997
Stefanie Voegele (SUI) – March 10, 1990
Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) – March 12, 1981
Andreja Klepac (SLO) – March 13, 1986

Today is International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate women’s achievements throughout history and across nations.

IWD has been celebrated on March 8 since 1977, when the United Nations proclaimed the date as a time to reflect on progress made for women’s rights, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.

The WTA marked the date with the #MySuperwoman campaign, and the stars of the WTA also took to Twitter to celebrate International Women’s Day 2016. 

Here’s what they had to say:

#perfection #happyinternationalwomensday❤️ pic.twitter.com/7VG8duT3Mz

— Elina Svitolina (@ElinaSvitolina) March 8, 2016

#OneDayIWill achieve equal rights and opportunities for all. Share your aspiration using #OneDayIWill this #IWD! pic.twitter.com/pw9fKQ2HEf

— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) March 8, 2016

I got the first flowers of the day from my coach this morning ? #womensday pic.twitter.com/RLcvCJTaCz

— Sorana Cirstea (@sorana_cirstea) March 8, 2016

Девочки,сегодня наш день! Давайте постараемся нести больше позитива,добра и света,ведь этого так не хватает нам! ❤️? pic.twitter.com/6jm0OcMIpn

— Svetlana Kuznetsova (@SvetlanaK27) March 8, 2016

Happy women's day?❤️? to all women out there but most importantly to do most inspiring women in… https://t.co/aAjlIWm3KQ

— Daniela Hantuchová (@dhantuchova) March 8, 2016

@TimeaOfficial @SteffiBuchli SuperWoman ! ?

— Patrice Touchard (@PatriceTouchard) March 8, 2016

#IWD2016 ???? pic.twitter.com/OqsvxG9PzW

— Madison Keys (@Madison_Keys) March 8, 2016

Девочки,с8 марта!Желаю всем вам весны,любви, признаний,объятий,а так же искренних слов и исполнения всех желаний!??? pic.twitter.com/tTJXpGwSbB

— Elena Vesnina (@EVesnina001) March 8, 2016

Happy #InternationalWomenDay everyone! https://t.co/jd9o3CUcWQ

— Petra Kvitova (@Petra_Kvitova) March 8, 2016

#MySuperwoman is My mother! ?
What about your Superwoman? #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2016 #loveyoumum pic.twitter.com/VaDtalJcOX

— Caroline Garcia (@CaroGarcia) March 8, 2016

Here’s to women’s STRENGTH, BEAUTY & BRILLIANCE just like a diamond!
After all you are… https://t.co/x7H1QdsbSq

— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) March 8, 2016

Venus Williams has issued the following statement in response to Tuesday’s hack on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s databases, which led to the public release of her confidential medical data:

“I was disappointed to learn today that my private, medical data has been compromised by hackers and published without my permission. I have followed the rules established under the Tennis Anti-Doping Program in applying for, and being granted, ‘therapeutic use exemptions’.

“The applications for TUEs under the Tennis Anti-Doping program require a strict process for approval which I have adhered to when serious medical conditions have occurred. The exemptions posted in the hacked report are reviewed by an anonymous, independent group of doctors, and approved for legitimate medical reasons. I am one of the strongest supporters of maintaining the highest level of integrity in competitive sport and I have been highly disciplined in following the guidelines set by WADA, USADA, the ITF and collectively the Tennis Anti-Doping Program.”

Travis Tygart, CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency also issued a statement denouncing the hack and supporting the athletes.

“It’s unthinkable that in the Olympic movement, hackers would illegally obtain confidential medical information in an attempt to smear athletes to make it look as if they have done something wrong. The athletes haven’t. In fact, in each of the situations, the athlete has done everything right in adhering to the global rules for obtaining permission to use a needed medication. The respective International Federations, through the proper process, granted the permission and it was recognized by the IOC and USADA.”

Eugenie Bouchard and Monica Puig will bid for first-round victories on Wednesday at the Crandon Park Tennis Center. We preview the must-see Miami Open matchups right here at wtatennis.com.

Wednesday

First round

Monica Puig (PUR #40) vs. Sorana Cirstea (ROU #65)
Head-to-head: Cirstea leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Puig is bidding for her 10^th tour-level win of the season on Wednesday.

Monica Puig will have the chance to take her solid 2017 to the next level at the Miami Open, and that challenge begins with a first-round matchup with Romania’s Sorana Cirstea. It will not be an easy task as Cirstea has defeated Puig in their lone meeting, but the Romanian has now lost five straight since reaching the round of 16 at the Australian Open and she has gone 3-8 lifetime at Miami with losses in her last three matches.

Puig has a semifinal (Doha) and a quarterfinal (Acapulco) to her name this season, but the Puerto Rican is still searching for a follow-through to her breakout Gold Medal performance at last year’s Olympics. Could it happen this year in Miami, where Puig has only won two previous matches but will no doubt receive a warm reception from her fans?

Pick: Puig in three

Eugenie Bouchard (CAN #56) vs. [WC] Ashleigh Barty (AUS #91)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Ashleigh Barty is the only player in 2017 to win the singles and doubles title at the same event, doing so at Kuala Lumpur.

Eugenie Bouchard had a relatively promising start to 2017 that saw her reach a semifinal at Sydney and advance to the third round at the Australian Open. But since then the Canadian has lost three straight. She’ll look to get her season on track again when she meets one of the surprising stories of 2017 in Australia’s Ashleigh Barty.

Barty has already doubled her 2016 tour-level win total and she claimed her first career title at Kuala Lumpur where she qualified before reeling off five straight victories. Bouchard will have her hands full with the upwardly mobile Aussie and she’ll have to be sharp with her passing game, as she’ll be contending with frequent forays to the net from Barty.

Pick: Bouchard in three

Ajla Tomjlanovic (CRO #594) vs. CiCi Bellis (USA #55)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Bellis reached the third round on her Miami Open debut in 2015.

Ajla Tomljanovic made her inspiring return to tennis after a year on the sidelines due to a shoulder injury by defeating Eugenie Bouchard in her first match in over a year at Acapulco. Since then she has lost two in a row but the good news for the powerful 23-year-old is that she’s finally in good health again and ready to start improving her ranking and fulfilling her vast potential on tour. But Tomjlanovic will have to contend with one of the feistiest young players in the game to get a win in Miami when she faces 17-year-old CiCi Bellis, who reached the third round as a 15-year-old Wildcard here in 2015.

Bellis started her season late due to a lower body injury but the California native reached the quarterfinals at Dubai in her first event, notching her first career Top 10 win over Agnieszka Radwanska in the process. Is Tomljanovic ready to contend with the all-out intensity of Bellis, or will it be Bellis who notches another impressive win in this young season?

Pick: Bellis in three

Lucie Safarova (CZE #36) vs. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL #67)
Head-to-head: Safarova leads, 2-1
Key Stat: Safarova has gone 4-4 against players ranked outside the Top 50 at Miami.

Lucie Safarova will look to continue her climb back up the WTA rankings in a place that has given her significant trouble in recent years. The Czech has lost six of her last seven matches at the Miami Open and has never been beyond the third round in eleven career main draw appearances.

On Wednesday she’ll look to exact some revenge on the woman that knocked her out of last year’s draw, Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer. Safarova has already slipped by the Belgian once this year, defeating her in three sets at the Australian Open, but Wickmayer is a former quarterfinalist at Miami that also owns win over Kim Clijsters and Timea Bacsinszky at the event.

Pick: Safarova in two

By the Numbers:

1-4 – Eugenie’s lifetime record at Miami. The Canadian has lost four straight decisions here.

2016 – Though she fell in her first match last year, Lucie Safarova did claim the doubles title with Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

5 – Ashleigh Barty is one of five WTA players to have claimed a maiden title in 2017. Lauren Davis (Auckland), Katerina Siniakova (Shenzhen), Elise Mertens (Hobart) and Kristina Mladenovic (St. Petersburg) are the other four.

TOKYO, Japan – No.6 seed Zhang Shuai ended Naomi Osaka’s hopes at the Japan Women’s Open Tennis with a straight set victory in their second-round clash on Thursday.

Watch live action from Tokyo this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Making the most of fast starts to both sets, Zhang completed a 6-3, 6-2 win in style, firing a wonderful forehand winner into the corner.

This year Osaka has started to deliver on her boundless potential, but against Zhang was unable to find the consistency to match her shotmaking. She netted a forehand to fall an early break behind and despite reducing her arrears to 4-3 was unable to rescue the first set.

Zhang continued to play the steadier tennis in the second set, punctuating her metronomic groundstrokes with occasional moment of inspiration; with Osaka serving at break point down in the second game, Zhang soaked up a series of heavy-duty groundstrokes before arrowing a pin-point forehand onto the baseline.

Another break soon followed as she confidently set up a quarterfinal meeting against Varvara Lepchenko.

Elsewhere there were contrasting fortunes for Zhang’s fellow seeds, Yulia Putintseva and Christina McHale.

To the delight of the crowd Kurumi Nara produced one of her best performances of the year to swat aside No.3 seed Putintseva and keep live homes of a Japanese champion. McHale, the No.7 seed, was made to work considerably harder, coming within two points of defeat against qualifier Rebecca Peterson before pulling through, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(4).

“It was a very tough match, very physical – the points were very long – so I’m really happy to have won and be moving on to the next round,” McHale said.

Fellow American Alison Riske continued her impressive progress through the draw, easing past Misaki Doi’s conqueror, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, 6-3, 6-1, while Viktorija Golubic defeated last year’s finalist Magda Linette, 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3.