Serena Williams skirted disaster in her first official post-lockdown appearance at the Top Seed Open in Lexington (Kentucky, USA). The American, first favorite of the tournament on a hard court that is played without an audience, had to go back a match that had turned ugly against his compatriot Bernarda Pera (25 years and 60th in the world), who won the first and held until 4-4 in the second, to succumb at the end by a total score of 4-6, 6-4 and 6-1.
Williams, physically improved, avoided the fiasco against an opponent she had never faced with seven direct aces and 78% of points won with firsts. Now, the former number one, 38, will face her sister Venus on Thursday in the second round. The veteran of 40 passed over the Belarusian Azarenka (6-3 and 6-2).
Konta suffered palpitations
On the other hand, Britain's Johanna Konta, world number 15, had to be treated for some palpitations after her defeat on Monday in the first round, the player revealed. Third-seeded Konta suffered palpitations in her first-round match against Marie Bouzkova. Visibly uncomfortable in the first set, she was seen checking her pulse regularly and had to receive treatment after her 6-4 6-4 loss.
“My heart rate increases for no reason … We hadn't played a long point at the time (4-3 in the first set) and I didn't feel tired. And still I had no strength left. We don't know why this happens, it's in stressful situations, in non-stressful situations … At those times, I can't function for the first few seconds, “he explained. Konta withdrew from the Palermo Open last week and resumed racing at Lexington after a five-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Coco Gauff beats Dolehide
Coco Gauff, the rough diamond of American women's tennis, appeared in Lexington with her 16 and that poise that characterizes her despite her youth. The young racket sport sensation was not nervous when her rival, compatriot Caroline Dolehide (21 years and 31st in the world) took the lead in the second set after losing in the twelfth of the first in her attempt to come back. Gauff, who placed eight aces, won 7-5 by a double and will face the powerful Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka this Wednesday in the second round, a litmus test for Coco, who already knows what it is to win a top. She did it in Australia this year when she beat Japan's Osaka (3rd) in the third round of the Grand Slam.
Lexington Top Seed Open Results
First round
Leylah Fernandez (CAN) to Sloane Stephens (USA, 7) 6-3 and 6-3
Venus Williams (USA) to Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 6-3 and 6-2
Shelby Rogers (USA) to Misaki Doi (JAP) 6-4, 4-6 and 6-2
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ, 5) to Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) 6-0 and 6-4
Coco Gauff (USA) to Caroline Dolehide (USA) 7-5 and 7-5
Olga Govortsova (BLR) to Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) 7-6 (4) and 6-1
Jill Teichmann (SUI) to Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) 6-2 and 7-5
Serena Williams (USA, 1) to Bernarda Pera (USA) 4-6, 6-4 and 6-1
Catherine Bellis (USA) to Francesca Di Lorenzo (USA) 6-1 and 6-2
Anna Blinkova (RUS) to Kristie Ahn (USA) 2-6, 6-4, 3-1 and retired.