Connect with us

News

Williams, Osaka begin Australian Open campaign with ease, Kerber crashes out

Published

on

Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka both advanced to the second round of the Australian Open after cruising past their opponents in Monday’s round one.

It was however not so for three-time Grand Slam champion, Angelique Kerber, who was beaten 6-0 6-4 by American Bernarda Pera.

Kerber becomes the first seeded player to crash out of the tournament, with the German 23rd seed saying the two-week quarantine in Australia had affected her form.

Read Also: After missing Australian Open, Murray to make return in Italy

Williams had an easy win as she opened her Grand Slam journey with a 56-minute demolition of Laura Siegemund.

Serena thrashed her German opponent 6-1 6-1 at the Rod Laver Arena, as she pursues a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title.

US Open champion Osaka also made a convincing start with a 6-1 6-2 win over Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

French Open champion Iga Swiatek also raced into the second round with a 6-1 6-3 win over Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now