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Four days after the biggest victory of her career at the BNP
Paribas Open at Indian Wells, 13th seed Vesnina was facing
defeat at the hands of Croatian wild card Ajla Tomljanovic, who
led 3-6 6-4 5-3 when a thunderstorm halted play for the night.
The world number 594 will have more than 14 hours to think about
the possibility of a huge upset before serving for the match
when play resumes on Friday.
Sixth seed Muguruza, meanwhile, drew a blank in the first set of
her match against 46th-ranked American Christina McHale, who led
6-0 2-3.
Earlier, Czech second seed Karolina Pliskova cruised into the
third round with a 6-1 6-3 win over Madison Brengle, while
Dominika Cibulkova beat Paraguayan qualifier Veronica Cepede
Royg 6-3 6-2.
Pliskova, a finalist at last year's U.S. Open who reached the
semi-finals at Indian Wells last week, relied on her booming
groundstrokes and strong returning to dispatch her American
opponent in 59 minutes.
"The last few matches it's not really about my serve because the
percentage is a little low, but I'm happy that I have my game
from the baseline," Pliskova, who hit 27 winners compared to six
for Brengle, said after the match.
"I was feeling the ball pretty well today."
Pliskova controlled the rallies, winning six straight games to
finish off the opening set and go up a break in the second.
Brengle then attacked Pliskova's serve to earn her first service
break, but the world number three re-established the lead in the
next game and served out to end the match.
Slovakian fourth seed Cibulkova faced only two break points
against Royg and saved both in a win that set up a third-round
clash with Belgian Kirsten Flipkens, who outbattled 29th seed
Croatian Ana Konjuh 7-6(4) 6-7(6) 6-2.
Fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland survived a first set
tie break before dusting off China's Wang Qiang 7-6(3) 6-1.
Twelfth seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark was impressive in a
6-1 6-1 demolition of American Varvara Lepchenko 6-1 6-2.
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina and Frank
Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Larry Fine and Nick Mulvenney)
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