Dubai Duty Free Tennis: Wozniacki downs Kasatkina, Bellis upsets Putintseva

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  • (Photo via DDF Tennis)

    On a chilly night on the fast Centre Court of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, experience prevailed over youth as Caroline Wozniacki passed the tricky opening test of Daria Kasatkina on Monday.

    Wozniacki, making her seventh appearance in the Emirates, is the 2011 champion, while Kasatkina, a 19-year-old Russian, who posted two wins over Angelique Kerber within the past six weeks, was making her Dubai debut.

    The talented teenager is ranked No32 in the world, and has quickly made a name for herself as a tough opponent with a bright future.

    But Wozniacki, who arrived late in Dubai having played and lost the final in Doha to Karolina Pliskova on Saturday evening, had no trouble in adjusting to new conditions and wrapped up a 6-2, 7-5 win over Kasatkina in 90 minutes.

    “Obviously seeing the draw, it’s like, well, could have had an easier first round,” the 10th-seeded Wozniacki said with a smile. “She’s a good young player. She mixes up the pace a lot. She kind of tries to bring you out of your rhythm and she has great hands.


    “I was really pleased with how I was able to just stay focused out there from the beginning. It’s much different conditions here. The ball is flying. The court is faster than in Doha.

    “I didn’t really know how I was going to play to start off with. Generally, I was pleased with my game.”

    Kasatkina was also coming off a gruelling week in Doha, where she reached the quarter-finals before falling to Monica Puig in three sets.

    The rain disrupted play in the Qatari capital all week which meant players spent hours each day waiting out the showers, and contesting more than one match on the same day.

    Wozniacki however seemed less affected by the grind from the week that past and was solid throughout the clash.

    Kasatkina was over-hitting her forehand, and looking comfortable, while Wozniacki, a former world No1, looked fresh in her legs, running down balls and moving her opponent around.

    The 26-year-old broke serve five times and won 73 per cent of her first serves to advance to a second round against Swiss Viktorija Golubic today.

    “It was a little bit difficult to come after Doha, after the conditions there and the rain delays, it was a bit complicated,” Kasatkina told Sport360.

    “She’s moving unbelievable for sure, that’s she was No1 in the world. She can put all the balls on the other side, it was very difficult to play against her, especially for the first time.”

    Wozniacki was hampered by injuries last season and dropped to as low as No74 in August. But she rebounded by reaching the semi-finals of the US Open and she closed her year with an impressive 20-4 win-loss record.

    She is now up to No15 in the rankings and looking to rejoin the top-10.

    Before stepping on the court for her Dubai opener, Wozniacki was in the players’ lounge where TV screens were showing a replay of her Doha final from just two days earlier. Does she find it tough to mentally switch from one tournament to another so fast?

    “I feel like kind of at the end of last year already I had back-to-backs, and from Tokyo I flew straight after the finals overnight and then landed early morning basically and had to play that day,” she said.

    “It’s tough. You kind of want to enjoy a little bit, but you’re playing well. But it is a positive problem to have, I suppose. You keep playing.”


    Puig says it like it is

    Earlier in the day, Olympic champion Monica Puig came through a tight 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win over Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova.

    Puig, who had lost to Wozniacki in the Doha semi-finals last week, needed medical attention for soreness in her lower back but believes she’ll be ready for her second round against No15 seed Caroline Garcia today.

    The Puerto Rican world No42 did not hold back when discussing her post-Olympics woes and how she’s working hard to back up that massive triumph in Rio.

    “It was a great week for me in Rio, and it was really good, but the fact of the matter is I didn’t back it up afterward,” confessed Puig.

    “So right now I’m just trying to get back to feeling comfortable, playing at that level consistently. And, you know, right now I’m doing a great job, I think. I’m working really hard.

    “I’m giving my 100 per cent in tennis, and I’m just focused on this right now. This is consuming my whole life.

    “I just really want this really bad. So I’m going to do whatever it takes. If that’s training more, if that’s, you know, fixing the little things, it doesn’t matter for me. I really love what I do and I really love playing tennis. I’m just going to work really hard to accomplish some more of my dreams.”

    Three seeds were sent packing yesterday with American Coco Vandeweghe becoming the highest-ranked casualty. The No11 seed and Australian Open semi-finalist lost 6-4, 6-4 to her compatriot Alison Riske.

    No17 seed Yulia Putintseva, a runner-up in St. Petersburg earlier this month, was shock by Dubai debutante, 17-year-old Cici Bellis 6-1, 7-5.

    “I got myself in a bit of trouble in the second set, but I’m glad I got out of it. I just thought to myself, stick to my game plan, just keep steady, I can come back. I can come back against anyone I set my mind to. I’m really glad I got through it,” said Bellis.

    The American teenager had to delay the start to her season due to strains to her hamstring and glute, and was playing her first main draw match of 2017.

    She is ranked No70 in the world and is the youngest player in the top-100.

    “I’m still trying to fit in a little bit, I think, but I think it will come eventually with age and experience. But I think it’s going well,” she admits.

    No13 seed Kiki Bertens fell to American Christina McHale 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4.

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