Google News Australian Open: Swift-winged Caroline Garcia races into round two at Melbourne Park
by ABBEY JOHNSON
Caroline Garcia soared into the second round of the Australian Open on Tuesday. The fourth-seeded Frenchwoman needed just 65 minutes to get the better of Canadian qualifier, Katherine Sebov, 6-3, 6-0. Garcia covered all parts of the court throughout the match making it difficult for Sebov to get a shot past her.
The higher-ranked player was also able to unsettle her opponent by not making her shot-placement predictable. This was more evident in the second set as Garcia just wrapped it up in 25 minutes as compared to the 40 minutes it had taken her to pocket the opening set.
Australian Open: Aryna Sabalenka writes her own tale
The world no. 4 had 16 unforced errors to Sebov’s 15 but where the latter had one winner, Garcia had 21 more. In terms of first serve, Garcia put in only 43% of her first serves as compared to her opponent’s 73% but won 94% of her first-serve points to Sebov’s 53%.
Garcia’s second-round rival will be another Canadian, Leylah Fernandez. Fernandez ousted the 2022 Australian Open quarter-finalist Alize Cornet, 7-5, 6-2. Earlier in the first match of the day at the Rod Laver Arena, Aryna Sabalenka scored a similar one-sided win over Tereza Martincova.
The fifth seed claimed a 6-1, 6-4 victory after 69 minutes. Sabalenka had 29 winners to Martincova’s seven and 20 unforced errors to the latter’s 14. She saved all five break points she faced while converting three breaks on the Czech’s serve.
Shelby Rogers will play Sabalenka next. The American defeated Dutch qualifier Arianne Hartono 6-4, 6-3 in their first-round match. Lastly, 26th seed Elise Mertens claimed a comeback win over 2020 Australian Open finalist, Garbine Muguruza in their round-one clash.
The Spaniard served for the match in the second set but the Belgian made a turnaround to notch a 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-1 win. Following her Australian Open exit, Muguruza’s now lost all three events she’s played to start this year, in the opening round.
