Aurélie SACCHELLI, Media365, published on Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 4:17 p.m.
The No. 8 seed in the Berlin tournament, the Czech Karolina Muchova was eliminated in three sets by the Russian Veronika Kudermetova. In contrast, Victoria Azarenka qualified in straight sets.
Defeated in the third round of Roland Garros by Sloane Stephens, Karolina Muchova missed her debut on grass. The Czech, seeded No. 8 in Berlin, was eliminated in the first round by a player ranked ten ranks behind her, Veronika Kudermetova (32nd), who won 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 . Both players struggled on serve, with a total of eleven breaks, and Kudermetova arguably could have wrapped it up earlier, as she served for the game at 5-4 in the second set before losing three straight games. Seeded n ° 7, Victoria Azarenka (16th) qualified for the second round by delivering a solid match against the German Andrea Petkovic, now 129th in the world: 6-4, 7-6. The Belarusian, author of 8 aces, broke 2-2 in the first set and her opponent failed to return. In the second, the two players broke three times each and Petkovic missed three set points at 6-5, before losing in the tie-break (7-2).
BERLIN (Germany, WTA 500, grass, € 456,073)
First edition
2nd round
Sabalenka (BIE, n ° 1) – Keys (USA)
Samsonova (RUS, Q) – Kudermetova (RUS)
Ka.Pliskova (RTC, n ° 4) – Pegula (USA)
Kerber (ALL) – Azarenka (BIE, n°7)
Muguruza (ESP, n ° 6) – Rybakina (KAZ)
Cornet (FRA) – Andreescu (CAN, n ° 3)
Bencic (SUI, n°5) – Martic (CRO)
Alexandrova (RUS) – Svitolina (UKR, n°2)
1st round
Sabalenka (BIE, n ° 1) – Bye
Keys (USA) bat Frech (POL, Q): 6-3, 6-4
Samsonova (RUS, Q) bat Vondrousova (RTC): 6-4, 7-6 (6)
Kudermetova (RUS) bat Muchova (RTC, n ° 8): 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-2
Ka.Pliskova (RTC, n ° 4) – Bye
Pegula (USA) bat Baptiste (USA, Q) : 6-6 (4-4) abandon
Kerber (ALL) bat Doi (JAP, Q) : 6-2, 6-1
Azarenka (BIE, n°7) bat Petkovic (ALL, WC) : 6-4, 7-6 (2)
Muguruza (ESP, n ° 6) a Cirstea (ROU): 6-3, 6-2
Rybakina (KAZ) bat Rogers (USA) : 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
Cornet (FRA) bat Anisimova (USA) : 6-3, 6-1
Andreescu (CAN, n°3) – Bye
Bencic (SUI, n ° 5) bat Niemeier (ALL, Q): 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
Martic (CRO) bat Muhammad (USA, Q) : 7-6 (0), 4-6, 6-3
Alexandrova (RUS) bat Kalinskaya (RUS, WC): 6-3, 6-2
Svitolina (UKR, n ° 2) – Bye
