Serena, humataw sa opening match

MADRID (AP)- Napasakamay ni top-ranked Serena Williams ang pagwawagi sa kanyang opening match sa red clay ng Madrid Open.

Siya at iba pang mga nangungunang tennis player ay lubos na nagalak sa muling pagkakabalik sa torneo mula sa tradisyunal na lugar matapos ang trial sa blue ”Smurf” clay na sumadsad noong nakaraang taon.



Makaraang dispatsahin si Yulia Putintseva ng Kazakhstan, 7-6 (5), 6-1, sinabi ng defending champion na nagustuhan niya ang bagong korte sa Caja Magica.

”I think these clay courts are really good,” masayang sinabi nito. ”I think they’re a little bit faster than the ones I was practicing on in Paris. For me, that’s always a good sign.”

Nagalak din sina Rafael Nadal at Novak Djokovic hinggil sa pagkakaalis sa blue clay, kapwa nila inireklamo dahil sa madulas na korte sa maagang pagkakatalsik nila noong nakaraang taon.

”I think that obviously the court last year was not up to the level that we needed,” pahayag ni Nadal. ”It was not prepared to be a competitive court.”

”But the courts are impressive this year. In Madrid, we have the problem of the dry climate, so it’s very difficult to have the clay that settles down properly, a clay that’s the same as in other places. I think this year we have managed to have good clay here.”

Tinawag ni Djokovic ang traditional red clay na, ”great,” na idinagdag na ang bawat naririnig mula sa iba pang competitors ay ”positive.

” The world’s top-ranked player had threatened to not come back unless the blue clay was discarded.”

Napagwagian ni Roger Federer ang torneo noong nakaraang taon bagamat dumanas rin ito ng paghihirap sa napakasamang korte. Ngunit ‘di na nagpaligoy-ligoy pa ang Swiss star para magdesisyong magbalik sa standard playing surface, na nagsabing ang bagong korte ay ang pinakamabisang nakita niya sa event.

”I don’t know if that was due to the color, but this tournament has, in the past, had issues with the quality of the court,” sambit ni Federer. ”I think through what happened last year, you know, the controversy around the blue clay, I think it was a big eye-opener to have a proper court here now.”

Sina Nadal, Djokovic at Federer ay nagkaroon ng first-round byes.

Una munang sumadsad si Williams sa kaagahan ng laro nang iwanan siya ni Putintseva sa 3-1 sa unang set. Ngunit agad namang bumangon si Williams at pagsapit sa tiebreaker, dinominahan na niya ang ikalawang set.

”I felt a little sluggish out there, but I’m happy I was able to win the match,” paliwanag ni Williams. ”Honestly, I obviously have to and want to play better as each match goes on.”

Susunod na makakaharap nito si Lourdes Dominguez-Lino ng Spain.

Umatras naman ang nakatatandang kapatid nito na si Venus Williams sa kaagahan ng laro kahapon bago ang kanyang first-round match sanhi ng problema sa kanyang likurang katawan.

Na-upset naman ng 18-anyos na American na si Madison Keys si fifth-ranked Li Na ng China, 6-3, 6-2. Nagtala si Keys, ranked 63rd, ng limang aces at naisakatuparan nito ang 5-of-7 break chances upang patalsikin ang 2011 French Open winner.

Nabigo naman si dating top-ranked player Caroline Wozniacki kay Yaroslava Shvedova ng Kazakhstan, 6-3, 6-4. Nalusutan ni Shvedova ang siyam na double-faults nang isagawa ang 5-of-15 break chances upang talunin ang 10th-seeded na si Wozniacki.

Pinataob ni fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska ng Poland si Tsvetana Pironkova ng Bulgaria, 6-2, 6-4, at susunod na makakatagpo nito si Britain’s Laura Robson.

Ang iba pang seeded winners ay sina Angelique Kerber, Petra Kvitova, Marion Bartoli, Dominika Cibulkova, Ana Ivanovic, Nadia Petrova at Maria Kirilenko.

Sa men’s event, napagtagumpayan nina Gilles Simon, Fernando Verdasco at Jeremy Chardy ang matches upang umabante sa second round.

View the original article: http://www.balita.net.ph/2013/05/07/serena-humataw-sa-opening-match/



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