|
American Kenin, who was once ranked number four
but has slipped to 134 in the world following her 2020 Melbourne
Park triumph due to illness and injuries, was far from her best
but managed to get past Bucsa in a little over three hours.
"It was obviously tough, but I was able to somehow get through.
I didn't feel a 100% but it doesn't matter, a win is a win and
I'm going to take it," said Kenin, who converted seven of her 21
breakpoints.
"It could have gone either way and it was a matter of who could
be mentally strong. I felt tired and... after three hours I'd
imagine that she was too, so I just had to battle it out."
Former U.S. Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez was beaten 7-6(4)
4-6 6-3 by Aliaksandra Sasnovich, while 2019 French Open
runner-up Marketa Vondrousova overcame Kaia Kanepi 6-0 4-6 6-2
in other first round matches.
Earlier, former doubles world number one Barbora Strycova downed
Maryna Zanevska 6-1 3-6 6-3 for her first singles victory since
2020 following her return to the WTA tour at last week's Madrid
Open from a two-year maternity break.
The 37-year-old Czech will take on world number eight Maria
Sakkari in the second round.
"I can't believe it," Strycova, who celebrated her victory with
her son Vincent, said. "I don't know how it feels because I
didn't really process it.
"I went off the court and right away grabbed my son because he
was hungry. So I wasn't really realising I won the match.
"I'm very happy. I'm a little shy about being happy. Also, I
feel a little strange because he's here and I will be changing a
diaper in a little while instead of getting a glass of wine."
Mayar Sherif, who became the first Egyptian ever to reach a WTA
1000 quarter-final at Madrid, crashed at the opening hurdle
against Russian Anna Blinkova who prevailed 2-6 6-2 6-3.
The men's tournament headlined by six-times champion Novak
Djokovic and Rome debutant Carlos Alcaraz begins on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby
Davis)
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|
