By Chris Oddo | Monday June 26, 2017
Grass season has started with a bang from Karolina Pliskova. The World No.3 roared past American Alison Riske, a solid grass-courter in her own right, 6-4, 6-3, behind seven aces and 33 of 36 first-serve points won.
Pliskova saved both break points she faced to defeat Riske in 68 minutes, setting up a third-round encounter with either Peng Shuai or Timea Bacsinszky.
Out of action since reaching the semifinals at Roland Garros, Pliskova said she was surprised how good she felt after just two days of practice on grass.
"I was quite surprised how I felt for my first match on grass,” she said. “I still want to play better, but the serve was okay and I think few shots there was pretty good."
Pliskova converted her first set point in the tenth game to take the opener, 6-4. The Czech converted a break in the eight game of the second set and did not face a break point down the stretch.
Elsewhere, defending champion Dominika Cibulkova was knocked off by Great Britain’s Heather Watson. The fourth-seeded and ninth-ranked Slovakian has now lost three matches against players outside of the Top 100 in succession after falling to World No.126 Watson, 7-5, 6-4.
With the victory Watson improves to 2-17 lifetime against the Top 10. Her only other previous Top 10 win came more than two years ago at Indian Wells when she defeated Agnieszka Radwanska.
Ostapenko Returns with Victory
In her first match since winning Roland Garros, 20-year-old Jelena Ostapenko survived a wild one to defeat Carla Suarez Navarro, 6-3, 0-6, 6-4.
Ostpenko will face either No.5-seeded Johanna Konta or Sorana Cirstea next.