By Adrianna Outlaw | Friday, March 27, 2015
Wild card Nicole Vaidisova smashed her racquet, then regrouped to beat Timea Babos and score her first WTA main-draw victory in five years at the Miami Open.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy (@tennis_shots) .
Wild card Nicole Vaidisova made a triumphant return to the Miami Open, winning her first WTA main-draw match in five years with a straight-sets win over qualifier Timea Babos.
The former world No. 7 then took a set from world No. 3 Simona Halep before bowing, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 in the second round.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy (@tennis_shots)
It was a double dose of French flair as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils shared the stage, falling in the third-set tie break of their doubles opener.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy (@tennis_shots)
"I'm not confident 100 percent to hit my best backhands yet," said Juan del Potro after losing his comeback match to Vasek Pospisil. "And I also need time to improve my backhand again. I already been hitting backhands the last 10 days in one year, which is very — it's very bad to play in this level.
In his Miami farewell match, former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt showed his familiar feisty grit to force a third-set against Thomaz Bellucci in a steamy night match.
In the end, an emotive Bellucci denied 12 of 15 break points in a 7-5, 6-7 (2), 6-4 victory.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy (@tennis_shots)
Del Potro failed to convert two set points in the second-set tie break, but said just to be back on court playing after two left wrist surgeries in the past year, was a victory in itself.
"I think I just play another official match after one year, it's a good signal for the future," del Potro said. "It doesn't matter the score for now. Obviously down there I wanted to win the match, and I had few chances in the first set; then in the second set I know I have set points, but I couldn't close the set because I had easy efforts and easy mistakes."
Photo credit: Christopher Levy (@tennis_shots)
Elina Svitolina showed the frustration — and got a sympathetic look from the ball boy behind her — during the second of her match with Bojana Jovanovski.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy (@tennis_shots)
The Serbian fought off eight of 18 break points she faced, pushing the match to a second-set tie break.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy (@tennis_shots)
In the end, Svitolina was all smiles, completing a 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory.
So if you're French Open finalist Simona Halep and you have a shot to surpass Maria Sharapova for the world No. 2 ranking with a strong run in Miami, would you rather win a Grand Slam title or rise to the world No. 1 ranking?
Let's hear Halep answer that one.