Kontaveit and Raducanu fall and Sabalenka suffers again

This Thursday’s day in the women’s draw left us, in addition to the defeat of Garbiñe Muguruza, the elimination of the other finalist of the WTA Finals, the Estonian Anett Kontaveit, sixth favorite for the title.

Kontaveit was surprised in the second round by the Danish Clara Tauson, who won in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 in just one hour and 19 minutes. The Dane continued to confirm her progression in tennis in a match in which she was more solid than Kontaveit with 20 winners and half the errors of the Estonian (27-13). In the third round Clara Tauson will now face the American Danielle Collins, who is trained by the Spanish Nico Almagro, and who beat the Croatian Ana Konjuh 6-4 and 6-3.

Raducanu falls to Kovinic, who meets Halep

Kontaveit’s was not the only surprise of the day at the Australian Open, since the British Emma Raducanu, seventeenth favorite and reigning US Open champion, was surprised by Montenegrin Danka Kovinic 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Raducanu wasted a 0-3 start in the first set and, despite reacting in the second, did not come back against the surprising Montenegrin. Kovinic will now face Romanian Simona Halep in the third round, who defeated Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-2, 6-0.

Sabalenka subscribes to the comebacks

Who did avoid the surprise, again, was the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, who managed to advance to the third round after beating China’s Xinyu Wang 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. As happened in his debut against Storm Sanders, Sabalenka started with a lot of nerves and mistakes but managed to redirect the situation thanks to his 33 winning shots to counteract his 43 errors. in third round Sabalenka will face the Olympic runner-up, the Czech Marketa Vondrousova, who beat the Russian Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 7-5.

Swiatek and Pavlyuchenkova advance, Rybakina retreats

Two other favorites such as the Polish Iga Swiatek and the Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova had fewer problems to pass. Swiatek, the seventh seed, unhurriedly edged out Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson for a double 6-2 and in the third round she will meet Russian Daria Kasatkina, who defeated Polish Magda Linette 6-2, 6-3.

Anastasia will also be in the third round Pavlyuchenkova. The 10th-seeded Russian ended Australian legend Samantha Stosur’s singles career by beating her 6-2 double and now she will seek a place in the round of 16 against the Romanian Sorana Cirstea, who beat the Slovakian Kristina Kucova 6-2, 6-4.

Who will not be in the third round will be the Kazakh Elena Rybakina, twelfth seed, who withdrew due to injury against China’s Shuai Zhang when she lost 6-4, 1-0. Zhang will now face Belgium’s Elise Mertens in the next round, who easily beat Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu 6-3, 6-2.

Australian Open women’s draw.