World #9 Johanna Konta and Karolina Pliskova, ranked #5, each won their opening matches; Konta prevailed over Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens 7/5 6/4, and Pliskova over Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo 6/2 6/0.
While both matches featured top-drawer players, their styles and their opponents’ could not be more different. Konta and her opponent both rely heavily on their mobility, whereas Sorribes Tormo is more of a classic clay courter – more balls in play, more often – while Pliskova has made her mark by hurting the ball with power. A full range of WTA style was on display in Tuesday’s two opening matches on Rod Laver and Margaret Court show courts. (Pliskova/Sorribes on Laver, Konta/Flipkens on Court)
Karolina Pliskova (5th seed) vs Sara Sorribes Tormo
The 20 year old Sorribes Tormo, ranked 106, walked on court having yet to win a match in 2017, and playing only her second Big Four tournament. Taking on the powerful, 6’1” tall Pliskova on a show court must have been intimidating. Nonetheless, the Spaniard made a good show of it in the first set, holding serve the first time up and keeping the ball in play enough to make the Czech pay attention.
Still, Pliskova broke when Sorribes Tormo, serving at 1/2, failed to close out the game at 40/15, double faulted at 40/30, staved off one break point and then lost the second. The phrase “easy power” is a popular one in tennis right now, probably used more than it should be, but it certainly describes Pliskova’s game perfectly. She never appears to break a sweat or strain while cracking the cover off the ball. This is in complete contrast to Sorribes Tormo’s effortful play. Neither style is perfection, however; both have their proponents at the top of the game, but regardless of playing styles the qualitative distance between the Spaniard and the world’s #5 was clear.
Pliskova served at 5/1, looking to close out the first set. After hitting double faults on the first two points of the 5/1 game, Pliskova called for a line call review on the 0/30 point. Hawkeye showed a landing spot at least a meter off from what everyone in the Laver Arena had just witnessed. The mistake was cleared up, with good humor, but not before everyone had a “Wha?” moment.
Sorribes Tormo successfully went on to break back for 2/5, but it was her last hurrah. Even the weird Hawkeye challenge didn’t deter Pliskova: she immediately broke back for the first set, and then went from strength to strength to take the second 6/0. All in all the match took an hour, and even that was due more to Pliskova’s having to get her bearings in her first big tournament of the year. She goes on to meet the winner of Monica Niculescu and Anna Blinkova.
Johanna Konta (9th seed) vs Kirsten Flipkens
In contrast to the Pliskova/Sorribes Tormo match, this battle promised probing, all-court points as neither player has a knockout punch in their repertoire. The closest thing to a big weapon for either player is probably Konta’s serve, but as a weapon it was not on display today.
While she notched 1 ace and put in 67% of her first serves, most of Konta’s service games were a bit of a battle. She was clearly not comfortable on court, failing to show off the deep, laser-like groundstrokes that have brought her to the top 10. Each player held serve to 3 all, when Konta had 0/40 on the Belgian’s serve. Flipkens help off the British #1 for two points, to 30/40, but her parrying style of baseline play couldn’t hold off Konta’s more penetrating groundies as Filpkens’ shots came up short in a rally, giving Konta the break.
Flipkens, ranked 70, is happier to come to net than most WTA players, and she started to advance forwards more as the match wore on. Oddly, given that many players have commented that the show courts are quite quick this year, Konta ended the match with more net advances than Flipkens, whose best results on tour have been on faster courts.
Serving for the first set at 5/4, Konta’s game got shaky. She missed a regulation backhand from 3/4 court on the first point, did the same on the second point, and then later, having gained set point, lost the opportunity to put the set away when she miffed a mid-court forehand. Flipkens went on to break for 5/5. Konta had a match on her hands.
One of the defining marks of a top player is the ability to put the immediate past behind them, and Konta did just that, regrouping mentally and breaking right back. Serving then at 6/5 she then put in 4 first serves and promptly won the set.
In comparison with the Pliskova/Sorribes Tormo match, where the higher ranked player found her rhythm and took charge after a so-so first set, Konta and Flipkens each continued their wobbly ways in the second. The Belgian lost the first two points in the first game of the second set, on her serve, and then, thinking (hoping?) it was going out, let a ball drop at her feet and watched it land in. Still, Konta couldn’t pull off the break and they each held to 2/2.
At that stage Konta again firmed up her play and broke for 3/2. Even though in her 3/2 service game she was called for a rarely seen Touch! ball – an otherwise out ball hit Konta’s foot before touching the ground – she displayed the mono-focus of a top tenner and went on to consolidate her break with a hold. 4/2 Konta.
Going forwards each player held serve, and when the Brit toed the line at 5/4 to serve for the match she hit the shots one’s supposed to: she controlled the game with first serves and closed it out, 6/4. Next up for Konta is the up-and-coming Japanese player, Naomi Osaka.
