MELBOURNE: German second seed Angelique Kerber easily won the battle of left-handers against big-hitting Brazilian qualifier Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-2 6-3 to stroll into the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday.
The Wimbledon champion broke the 22-year-old Haddad Maia twice in the opening set and converted her first set point when the Brazilian sent a forehand wide for her 29th unforced error in the set. Kerber, a triple Grand Slam champion who won in Melbourne in 2016, faced just one breakpoint in the match in the second set and converted her first opportunity in the eighth game to go 5-3 up and serve for the set.
“I think it was a good match from my side. I was trying to play aggressive from the first point until the last one, serving good, really focusing on the moment on court,” Kerber told reporters.
“I think I was playing good, especially in the second set, it was a little bit close.”
The strongly-built six-feet tall Brazilian saved 10 breakpoints in the first set, six of them in the sixth game for a hold, and hit more winners than Kerber. However, she was undone by her erratic shot making. — Reuters
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