Marketa Vondrousova pulled out of the Adelaide International on Tuesday, citing a right hip injury, just five days before the Australian Open begins in Melbourne. The No. 7 seed Vondrousova withdrew from the competition just hours before her first-round match against Russian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Taylor Townsend will replace her in the draw.
Sixth-seeded Jelena Ostapenko was broken while serving for the match at 5-2 in the third set. She then blew two match points in the next game before eventually defeating Sorana Cirstea 2-6, 6-2, 6-4. Caroline Garcia, who defeated local wild-card entry Taylah Preston 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, will face the 2017 French Open champion next. Also read: Two-Time Champion Roberto Bautista Agut falls in Auckland
“I feel like I was sleeping in the first set,” Ostapenko said. “I’m not a morning person; I needed time to get into the match. When I start to take time and be a bit more calm, I play better.”
Jordan Thompson of Australia advanced to the second round of the ATP competition in Adelaide after defeating Rafael Nadal in the Brisbane International quarterfinals last week.
Thompson defeated Facundo Diaz Acosta 6-2, 6-2 to face No. 4-seeded Lorenzo Musetti.
International Hobart Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open winner, was broken while serving for the match. And ultimately fell to No. 73-ranked Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5). In Hobart, sixth-seeded Sofia Kenin, who won the Australian Open and reached the French Open final in 2020, beat Greet Minnen 6-3, 6-3. Nadia Podoroska retired from their match with Tatjana Maria leading 6-1, 4-3.
Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu’s exhibition match was cancelled when the two-time Australian Open winner withdrew as a “precautionary measure.” Also read: United Cup Tennis 2024: Alexander Zverev Zverev comeback secures germany’s triumph
The match was set for Tuesday at Melbourne Park, and it was the first of several exhibition matches scheduled for the location in the week running up to the season’s first major.
Osaka competed in her first competitive matches since late 2022 last week at the Brisbane International, and she is gearing up for a return to Grand Slam competitions.