Czech Lucie Safarova impressed in her first round victory on Monday and will start as red-hot favourite when she returns to the Domain Tennis Centre for her second round today.
The world No.62, who reached a high of No.5 in 2015 before being struck down by a debilitating bacterial infection, faces Japanese qualifier Risa Ozaki, the world No.100. It is the first meeting between the pair.
> Read about Safarova’s winning return to Hobart
Top seed Kiki Bertens is next on court, facing Kazahk Galina Voskoboeva. World No.22-ranked Bertens started her first campaign as a No.1 seed in a WTA event with a comprehensive first round win. Voskoboeva, a 32-year-old on the comeback from a chronic foot injury, scored her first WTA main draw win since January 2014 to reach the second round. “When you didn’t play for so long, it is difficult coming back, so it means a lot,” Voskoboeva said of her first round win.
> Read about Bertens’ perfect start
Swede Johanna Larsson, the 11th seed and a semifinalist here last year, faces a tough test against Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko. Larsson is unbeaten is three matches against the world No.61, but they have not played since 2012.
> Finish this sentence…Lesia Tsurenko
American Shelby Rogers and Spaniard Lara Arruabarrena are the feature match of the night session. Rogers eliminated second seed Anastasija Sevastova in the first round and now faces another challenge in Arruabarrena, the world No.64 who impressed in last week’s Mastercard Hopman Cup.
Rogers has made the most of her first visit to Hobart, taking in the city views from the top of Mount Wellington earlier this week:
https://twitter.com/Shelby_Rogers_/status/818366839864467456