NEW HAVEN, Connecticut: Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska overcame a slow start and breezed past Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 6-1 Wednesday in the second round of the Connecticut Open.
Ostapenko had upset four-time New Haven champion Caroline Wozniacki in the first round and had a set point, leading the fourth-ranked player in the world 5-4. But Radwanska rallied to hold serve, then broke the 19-year-old from Latvia in the 11th game to take control of the match.
“I think I was just more patient and well, just two points better,” said Radwanska, of Poland.
Before that match, the day belonged to the underdogs.
Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium became the fourth lucky loser this week to win a first round match, beating Belinda Bencic of Switzerland 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.
She may have been the luckiest of them all.
The 30-year-old, who upset Venus Williams at the Olympics, had lost in the second round of qualifying in New Haven. But she was moved into the main draw after Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko withdrew earlier in the day with a right knee injury.
Another lucky loser, Johanna Larsson of Sweden, beat seventh-seeded Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland 7-5, 6-2.
The 28-year-old got into the main draw when Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova withdrew with a shoulder injury.
“You get a second chance and you just want to take it,” she said. “I’m very happy that I made it happen today.”
Larsson had lost every set in four previous meetings with Bacsinszky, who came in ranked No. 16 in the world.
Olympic doubles champions Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina of Russia became the first players to advance to the third round of the singles competition.
Vesnina was leading Anett Kontaveit 6-4, 1-0 when the 20-year-old Estonian withdrew with a left thigh injury.
Makarova beat qualifier Anatasija Sevastova of Latvia 6-3, 6-2.
“We’re focusing on the singles matches just before the US Open and want to get some wins,” Vesnina said. “So it’s great that both of us are still in the draw and still winning and it’s a good preparation for the US Open, as well.”
Vesnina will play Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, who won the last match of the day, 6-3, 6-1 over Evgenya Rodina of Russia. Svitolina is playing some of her best tennis coming off her upset of Serena Williams at the Olympics.
Querrey moves up
In Los Angeles, Sam Querrey got off to a successful start at the ATP Winston-Salem tournament by reaching the third round with a 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5 win over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.
“It’s been a solid year so far,” said American Querrey, who fired 24 aces in Tuesday’s match on center court.
“I don’t feel a ton of pressure. I’m just trying to feel good, just trying to play some good matches. The fans are great here. They’re really supportive. They get behind the Americans, so that was nice.”
Querrey won 86 percent of his first-serve points and saved nine of 10 break points. He next plays Viktor Troicki of Serbia, who defeated Kyle Edmund of Great Britain 6-3, 7-5.
Second-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut defeated Great Britain’s Aljaz Bedene 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Bautista Agut, who has won two hard-court tournaments this year, next faces No. 14 seed Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus, who eliminated American Donald Young 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
Third-seeded Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay had an easier time in getting past Malek Jaziri of Tunisia 7-5, 6-1. Cuevas’ next opponent will be 16th-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain, who eliminated Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 7-5.
France’s Gilles Simon was upset in his opening match for the second year in a row. He lost to Diego Schwartzman of Argentina 7-6 (2), 6-1.
Nadal to play in Australia
World No.5 Rafael Nadal will play in the Brisbane International next year, organizers said on Wednesday, the first time the Spaniard has kicked off his season in Australia.
The tournament, held in the eastern city of Brisbane in January ahead of the Australian Open, was last won by big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic who defeated Roger Federer in the final.
“It’s going to be the first time in my career that I’m going to play in Australia the first week of the season and I’m really excited about it,” 14-time Grand Slam champion Nadal said in a statement.
“I think this is something I have to do during my career and I think at the same time it’s going to be a great preparation to be in Australia early.”
The tournament’s director Geoff Quinlan said organizers had been in talks with the 30-year-old for several years and said Nadal would be a big drawcard for fans.
“This is just the start of a very exciting line-up of players we will announce over the coming months,” he added.
The Brisbane International will be held from January 1 to 8 in the lead-up to the Australian Open.
Top-seed Radwanska has it easy in Connecticut Open
Top-seed Radwanska has it easy in Connecticut Open
