It is the second time this year that the 19-year-old Daria Kasatkina of Russia has won against the former Australian Open champion after beating her at the Sydney International last month
DOHA: World number two Angelique Kerber finally got to play her first match at the rain-affected Qatar Open on Thursday and promptly crashed out of the tournament.
She lost 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 to Russian teenager Daria Kasatkina in a second round match, after Kerber received a first round bye.
It is the second time this year that the 19-year-old has won against the former Australian Open champion after beating her at the Sydney International last month, 7-6, 6-2.
“Of course it’s always tough to play the first matches after a longer break,” said the former number one afterwards. “But I was not feeling the best today. I’m trying to find my rhythm. But she plays good.
“I think it was, for sure, not my day. I was not feeling the best today.”
The tournament had started on Monday, but Kerber had faced a frustrating wait to get out on court.
The defeat caps a miserable start to 2017 for Kerber who lost in the fourth round in Melbourne as she sought to defend her Australian Open title.
To make things worse, the eventual winner Serena Williams then reclaimed Kerber’s number one world ranking. Kasatkina next plays Olympic champion Monica Puig in a last eight clash later on Thursday as organisers desperately try to catch up in a tournament blighted by rain, which has led to the postponement of many matches, as Qatar has suffered some of its wettest weather in years.
Another seed who lost on Thursday was Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska, beaten by close friend Caroline Wozniacki 7-5, 6-3.
“We always have great matches,” said the Dane afterwards. “It was a tough match but I was pleased.”
Wozniacki was also set to go back out on court later on Thursday, weather permitting, to play American qualifier Lauren Davis.
Number two seed Karolina Pliskova from the Czech Republic has made it through to the last eight, however, beating France’s Caroline Garcia 7-5, 6-4.
SOGGY OPEN
Three players reached the quarterfinals of a soggy Qatar Open on Wednesday during another rain-affected day.
Number three seed Dominika Cibulkova, Zhang Shuai and Monica Puig were all able to complete their matches — in fact, both Zhang and Puig played two matches on Wednesday — to make their way through to the last eight.
Of the few matches that were completed, Cibulkova’s clash against Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was the pick.
The Slovakian won in three sets, 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 and admitted afterwards it had been a hard match.
“I knew it’s going to be a tough one, especially now,” said Cibulkova. “She’s in great form. She played quarterfinals in Australian Open. “When she’s in good form, it’s going to be really tough.”
Spain’s Garbine Muguruza, the number five seed, was the biggest casualty of the day, losing to Zhang 6-7 (7/3), 6-3, 5-7.
Like Zhang, Muguruza was playing her second match of the day having earlier breezed past Turkey’s Cagla Buyuakcay in her first round match, 6-3, 6-2. “I woke up thinking that I was going to have a very tough day,” said French Open champion Muguruza.
Puerto Rican Puig cruised through her first match thrashing Germany’s Laura Siegemund 6-0, 6-1. — AFP
WTA Qatar Open results
Second round: Darya Kasatkina (Russia) beat 1-Angelique Kerber (Germany) 6-4, 0-6, 6-4; Samantha Stosur (Australia) beat 8-Barbora Strycova (Czech Republic) 6-3 3-6 6-4; 2-Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) beat Caroline Garcia (France) 7-5, 6-4; Lauren Davis (U.S.) beat 6-Elena Vesnina (Russia) 7-5, 6-2; Mónica Puig (PUR) bt Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 6-2, 4-6, 2-1 - retired; Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x3) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 7-5, 2-6, 6-2; Shuai Zhang (CHN) bt Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP x5) 7-6 (7/3),
3-6, 7-5
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