Casey finds her way after second-set walkabout
Casey Dellacqua (AUS) d. Lauren Davis (USA) 6-4 1-6 6-4
Casey Dellacqua admitted her concentration levels weren’t where she wanted them to be after allowing Lauren Davis to push her to three sets in her Hobart International opener.
“It’s just one of those things,” said the 29-year-old. “When you’ve played some matches it just comes instinctively to help you to get out of tough situations.
“It wasn’t even about the win today. It was about finding a way in that third set to get back into the match. That’s what it’s about for me – it was always about my performance. Even if I’d lost, if I’d put myself out there and played the way I want to play in that third set I would have been happy.”
The top seed – a career first for the Australian at WTA level – got off to the perfect start as Davis struggled badly on serve, tossing in eight double-faults in the opening set as Dellacqua opened up a double-break lead.
Davis clawed one break back but truly hit her stride in the second set, turning the tables on Dellacqua with an early break of her own. That’s when the world No.29’s problems started, particularly on serve: she won just three of 15 points as Davis stormed back into the match.
With Davis taking treatment for a sore hip early in the second set Dellacqua called for her coach, who helped her calm down and refocus. She hit the front at 4-2 before Davis fought back once more, but the American flinched while serving to stay in the match, throwing away a 40-0 lead at 4-5 to the delight of the Hobart crowd.
Giorgi stumbles over the line against Sanders
Camila Giorgi (ITA) d. Storm Sanders (AUS) 5-7 6-1 7-6(6)
Storm Sanders has fond memories of her time in Tasmania – the 20-year-old won her first WTA-level match at the Hobart International in 2014, and played a part in Australia’s Fed Cup win against Russia in the city in February.
The Western Australian, on the comeback trail after a 2014 blighted by injury, looked on course to rack up another special moment when she took the first set against No.3 seed Camila Giorgi in the day’s opening match, fighting fire with fire against the big-hitting Italian.
Giorgi was decidedly out of sorts on serve – hitting 23 double-faults and foot-faulting nine times in all – but Sanders simply couldn’t make the world No.33 pay. After being trounced in the second set, the duo shared 10 breaks in the final set before the Italian finally secured victory in the final set tiebreak.
Up next for Giorgi is Kaia Kanepi, who has carried her Brisbane form across the Bass Strait. The Italian cannot afford to be so wasteful in the last 16.
Rogowska left deflated after Vinci defeat
Roberta Vinci (ITA) d. Olivia Rogowska (AUS) 6-1 4-6 6-3
Olivia Rogowska was left to rue her slow start against No.9 seed Roberta Vinci out on Centre Court. The 23-year-old admitted to being driven to distraction by the Italian’s tricky slice as the winds swirled around the Domain Tennis Centre, but took full responsibility for her slow start to the contest.
“She has a really crafty slice,” Rogowsska admitted. “it’s hard to read where she’s going to hit the ball. I just feel like the conditions suited her much better today, especially the wind – her slice is deadly in the wind.
“I got off to an awful start, but I’m proud that I managed to stay calm and at least give myself a chance, but it wasn’t meant to be.”
With the sun high over Centre Court and gusts crossing the court, Vinci leaned heavily on her sliced backhand to forced Rogowska to generate her own pace. The world No.124 failed to hold serve in the first set but made a far better start to the second, keeping pace with the Italian and pouncing on some loose shots at 5-4 to nick the second set.
Vinci responded with a break to open the second set, and try as she might Rogowska could not find a route back into the match despite some sparkling winners along the way. The Italian will face Annika Beck in the second round.