Day 6 – Third-Round Match-Ups
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2021 AUSTRALIAN OPEN – WOMEN’S MATCH NOTES MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – FEB 8 – 20, 2021 – GRAND SLAM Tournament Information: www.ausopen.com | @AustralianOpen | facebook.com/AustralianOpen WTA Information: www.wtatennis.com | @WTA | facebook.com/WTA WTA Communications: Chris Whitmore ([email protected]) DAY 6 – THIRD-ROUND MATCH-UPS [1] ASHLEIGH BARTY (AUS #1) vs. [29] EKATERINA ALEXANDROVA (RUS #32) First meeting Barty has made the third round or better on her past five appearances at Melbourne Park… Alexandrova facing a reigning World No.1 for the first time… Barty is the last Australian woman left in the singles draw… Alexandrova bidding to reach fourth round at a Slam for the first time [26] YULIA PUTINTSEVA (KAZ) #28 vs. [5] ELINA SVITOLINA (UKR #5) Svitolina leads 5-2 Svitolina triumphed in straight sets when the two met at 2015 Australian Open… Putintseva has been extended to three sets in both her matches in the opening week… Svitolina beat Gauff in straight sets in the previous round… Putintseva owns four Top 5 wins in her career [25] KAROLINA MUCHOVA (CZE #27) vs. [6] KAROLINA PLISKOVA (CZE #6) Series tied 1-1 Muchova and Pliskova shared the spoils from their encounters at Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2019… Pliskova has now made the third round at Melbourne Park seven years in a row… This is the only third-round match-up between compatriots [11] BELINDA BENCIC (SUI #12) vs. [18] ELISE MERTENS (BEL #16) First meeting Bencic has gone the distance in both matches en route to third round… Mertens made Grand Slam breakthrough with SF run here in 2018…Bencic is attempting to reach fourth round at the Australian Open for a second time… Mertens is seeded No.2 in doubles draw alongside Sabalenka Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/WTA 1 2021 AUSTRALIAN OPEN – WOMEN’S MATCH NOTES MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – FEB 8 – 20, 2021 – GRAND SLAM [21] ANETT KONTAVEIT (EST #22) vs. SHELBY ROGERS (USA #57) Kontaveit leads 2-0 Kontaveit edged their previous encounter on a tight third set, at 2019 Wimbledon… Rogers is one of five American women to reach third round… Kontaveit coming off run to the final at last week’s Grampians Trophy… Rogers began last season ranked No.174 [22] JENNIFER BRADY (USA #24) vs. [Q] KAJA JUVAN (SLO #104) First meeting Brady is yet to face a break point in her opening two matches… Juvan came within a game of defeat in the previous round against Sherif… Brady’s career breakthrough came with fourth-round run here in 2017… This fortnight Juvan has won-back-to-back Tour-level matches for the first time KAIA KANEPI (EST #65) vs. [28] DONNA VEKIC (CRO #33) Vekic leads 1-0 Vekic came out on top when they met at 2019 US Open… Kanepi upset defending champion Kenin in previous round… Vekic ended six-match losing streak with run this fortnight… Australian Open is the only major where Kanepi has not been beyond third round JESSICA PEGULA (USA #61) vs. KRISTINA MLADENOVIC (FRA #52) Pegula leads 1-0 Pegula won in straight sets when the two met 13 days ago at the Yarra Valley Classic… Mladenovic appearing in third round at a Slam for the first time since 2018 Wimbledon… Pegula bidding to reach last 16 at a major for the first time… Mladenovic is a two-times doubles champion here Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/WTA 2 2021 AUSTRALIAN OPEN – WOMEN’S MATCH NOTES MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – FEB 8 – 20, 2021 – GRAND SLAM Tournament Information: www.ausopen.com | @AustralianOpen | facebook.com/AustralianOpen WTA Information: www.wtatennis.com | @WTA | facebook.com/WTA WTA Communications: Chris Whitmore ([email protected]) [1] ASHLEIGH BARTY (AUS #1) VS. [29] EKATERINA ALEXANDROVA (RUS #32) Head-to-head: First meeting BARTY ALEXANDROVA Career Prize Money $17,594,569 Career Prize Money $1,681,035 Plays Right-handed Plays Right-handed Date of Birth (Age) April 24, 1996 (24) Date of Birth (Age) Nov. 15, 1994 Singles Titles 9 Singles Titles 1 Australian Open W-L (MD) 15-7 Australian Open W-L (MD) 5-4 Grand Slam W-L (MD) 38-21 Grand Slam W-L (MD) 14-16 YTD / Career W-L (MD) 6-0 / 158-65 YTD / Career W-L (MD) 7-2 / 75-66 3-Set W-L (YTD / Career) 2-0 / 49-19 3-Set (YTD / Career) 2-1 / 22-25 Tie-Break W-L (YTD / Career) 3-0 / 26-19 Tie-Break (YTD / Career) 2-3 / 13-22 Hard Court W-L (YTD / Career) 6-0 / 108-43 Hard Court (YTD / Career) 7-2 / 58-38 Top 10 W-L (YTD / Career) 0-0 / 18-20 Top 10 W-L (YTD / Career) 1-0 / 3-12 Top 20 W-L (YTD / Career) 1-0 / 38-38 Top 20 W-L (YTD / Career) 2-0 / 7-17 Coach Craig Tyzzer Coach Vojtech Flegl BARTY: Australian Open Making eighth main draw appearance at Australian Open; posted best result in 2020 by reaching SF (l. eventual champion Kenin) Was the first Australian woman to reach SF at Australian Open since Wendy Turnbull in 1984 (l. Evert); the most recent finalist from the home nation was Turnbull in 1980 and the last champion Chris O’Neil in 1978 Made first Grand Slam main draw singles appearance here in 2012 after winning Tennis Australia’s 2012 wildcard play-off (l. Tatishvili in 1r) Was doubles R-Up at 2013 Australian Open w/Dellacqua (l. Errani/Vinci) Lifted sole Grand Slam title at 2019 Roland Garros (d. Vondrousova in F) – is one of 16 major champions in the draw, but the only one to reach 3r in the top half of the draw (Halep, Muguruza, Osaka, Swiatek and S.Williams did so in the bottom half) Will spend her 62nd and 63rd week as World No.1 during 2021 Australian Open (first achieved June 24, 2019) Seeded No.1 for the third time at a major (also 2019 Wimbledon and 2020 Australian Open). S.Williams in 2015 was the last No.1 seed to lift Australian Open title The top seed has reached R16 or better every year at the Australian Open since Virginia Ruzici’s 1r exit in 1979 (l. Mary Sawyer) Made a flying start to her title bid this year, dropping just 10 points against Kovinic to become the first home player since Wendy Turnbull in 1985 to win an Australian Open match 6-0 6-0. It was the first time she had registered this scoreline since beating Garcia on the opening day of the 2019 Billie Jean King Cup final Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/WTA 1 2021 AUSTRALIAN OPEN – WOMEN’S MATCH NOTES MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – FEB 8 – 20, 2021 – GRAND SLAM Fended off second-set break points to beat wildcard Gavrilova 6-1 7-6 (7) in 2r; now owns 26-6 career record against fellow Australians (5-2 in Tour-level matches) Has dropped the joint fewest games of any player in top half of draw (also Brady) Takes on No.32 Alexandrova in 3r today; in terms of ranking, defeat would be worst since falling to No.53 Brady in 2020 season opener at Brisbane Career record in Grand Slam 3r matches stands at 6-4, with last defeat at this stage coming to Russia’s Kasatkina at 2018 Wimbledon Since returning to the Tour in 2017, has posted an impressive 39-10 record on home soil (including Fed Cup ties and two wins in opening week here), winning two titles and finishing R-Up twice Entered doubles draw w/Brady – withdrew prior to 2r match against No.2 seeds Mertens/Sabalenka Coming off lifting ninth career title last week at Yarra Valley Classic (d. Muguruza in F) – her first tournament since 2020 Doha where she reached SF (l. eventual R-Up Kvitova) Career Milestones Finished year-end No.1 for second year in a row in 2020, despite missing all tournaments held after the resumption of play in the summer Went 12-3 to start 2020 season, results highlighted by first title on home soil, and eighth overall at Adelaide (d. Yastremska in F). Followed up with SF runs at Australian Open (l. eventual champion Kenin) and Doha (l. Kvitova) Stellar season in 2019 brought four singles titles – including maiden major at Roland Garros (d. Vondrousova in F) and WTA Finals in Shenzhen (d. Svitolina in F); registered Tour-leading 57 match wins, with 11-6 record against Top 10 opponents Broke into Top 10 after defeating Ka.Pliskova in F at 2019 Miami (week of April 1) and became first Australian woman in 43 years to secure No.1 singles ranking after title run at Birmingham, where she defeated Goerges in F (June 24, 2019) Other highlights in 2019 included R-Up finishes at Sydney (scored first win over a reigning No.1, Halep, en route; l. Kvitova) and Beijing (l. Osaka) and reached SF at Cincinnati and Wuhan. In doubles, won Rome titles and was R-Up at US Open (both w/Azarenka) In 2019, spearheaded Australia to its first Billie Jean King Cup final since 1993, against France in Perth; went 1-1 in singles (d. Garcia, l. Mladenovic) and dropped decisive doubles (w/Stosur) as the French prevailed 3-2 In 2018, won two singles titles and four doubles titles, finishing the season No.15 in singles and No.7 in doubles; was one of only two players to finish the year in the Top 20 in both disciplines (along with Mertens) Captured first Grand Slam doubles trophy at 2018 US Open (w/Vandeweghe, d.