Krejčíková will challenge Nao Hibinová of Japan, the 251st ranked player, in the next round. Havlíčková will face world number two Anett Kontaveitová, who outclassed Georgian Ekaterina Gorgodzeová 6:0, 6:1 on Tuesday. Nosková will face fifth seed Alizé Cornet from France, and Šalková will face the last Wimbledon quarterfinalist Maria Bouzková on Wednesday.
Twenty-six-year-old Krejčíková defeated Blinková, three years younger, for the third time. The 18th player in the world, who was eliminated in the quarter-finals in Hamburg last week, lost her opening two serves, but each time she immediately returned the break to her opponent. Thanks to another in the eighth game, she won the first set. Then last year’s two-time Roland Garros winner was 100 percent on her serve and, after using three more break points, led the match to victory in one hour and 18 minutes.
“I felt good. I was really looking forward to the tournament. There was also a little nervousness. After transitioning from one surface to another, I didn’t know what to expect at the beginning. The start was slower, but I gradually improved. I think that on at the end, I already played good tennis,” Krejčíková said at the press conference.
Havlíčková played the Czech duel with Palicová for 21 minutes longer. “I am happy for this victory. It is my first win at a WTA tournament and I value it very much. Winning at Roland Garros gave me a lot of confidence and helps me in difficult moments, that you remember what you played and achieved there.” said Havlíčková at the post-match press conference.
The tennis player from Prague, who is ranked 787th in the world, broke her opponent’s serve three times in the first set. She won the set on the fourth set point. Eighteen-year-old Palicová, who knocked out former world number 12 Yanina Wickmayerová in the qualification, but dramatized the duel in the second set. She went into the lead 3:0, then she lost the lead, but after another break she still led 4:3. But Havlíčková turned the result around.
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In the tenth game, the match was stopped for a while due to nausea of one of the ball feeders. At that time, Havlíčková had not yet used two match points, but in the subsequent tie-break, at 6:5, she used the third opportunity to end the match. “I was very nervous at the beginning and also at the end. Especially when I didn’t finish it with two match points at 5:4. I appreciate it all the more that I still managed to pull it off,” added Havlíčková.
Eighteen-year-old Šalková is also celebrating her first victory on the WTA circuit. The TK Sparta Praha player, who entered the tournament from qualification, knocked out the world’s 123rd player In-Albonova in 66 minutes. She won the first set clearly thanks to three breaks, but in the second set at 5:1 she lost three games in a row and did not use six match points. It was only in the tenth game that she converted her seventh attempt overall and could celebrate the success of her life.
“The end was very nervous. At the beginning I felt incredible on the court, everything was going well for me, but as it was one ball away from winning, I started to get a little nervous and it was almost 5:5. Fortunately, I managed it, even though it was close,” said Šalková.
Seventeen-year-old Nosková converted three break points in the first set against qualifier Vichlantsevová, who reached the main competition as a lucky loser, and won the set in her favor in 35 minutes. After the fourth game of the second set, the 25-year-old Russian had her leg treated and subsequently withdrew from the duel.
While No. 1 seed Kontaveit swept world No. 126 Gorgordze 6-0, 6-1 in 48 minutes, the tournament ended for No. 4 Sorana Cirstea. The 32-year-old Romanian lost 5:7, 4:6 to qualifier Oksana Selechmeteva from Russia.
Bouzková and Šalková from the Czech Republic will play on Wednesday. According to the organizers, the weekend’s decisive fights are already sold out.
Women’s tournament Livesport Prague Open (hard surface, subsidy $251,750):
Singles – 1st round:
Havlíčková – Palicová (both Czech Republic) 6:2, 7:6 (7:5), Cornetová (5-Fr.) – Zacharovová (Rus.) 6:2, 6:3, Tomovová (Bulgaria) – Snigurová (Ukr.) 6 :4, 6:2, Shalkova (Czech Republic) – In-Albonova (Switzerland) 6:1, 6:4, Potapova (7-Russia) – Wang Sin-yü (China) 6:1, 6:2, Noskova (Czech Republic) – Vichlancevová (Rus.) 6:2, 3:1 scratch, Kontaveitová (1-Est.) – Gorgodzeová (Georgia) 6:0, 6:1, Selechmetěvová (Rus.) – Cirsteaová (4-Rum) .) 7:5, 6:4.
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