Second seed Karolina Pliskova required less than an hour to breeze past Madison Brengle 6-3, 6-1, in the second round at the Miami Open.
The 25-year-old Czech managed to grab the one-sided win despite her lacklustre first service performance, which recorded a below-par rate of 46%. Nevertheless, Pliskova was the most powerful force in the match as she brushed aside her opponent. Brengle only managed to win 4/18 second serves against Pliskova and was broken five times.
“The serve wasn’t really great and hasn’t been for the last few weeks but I think my game from the baseline was better, it’s improving, my backhand is better, I was feeling pretty good just want to improve the serve a bit now,” Pliskova said after her win.
Pliskova’s record at the Miami tournament is far from perfect. In three out of the past four years, she has failed to progress beyond the second round. Last year she crashed out in her first match to Hungary’s Timea Babos. This time round the world No.3 is eager to end her run of disappointments at the Miami extravaganza.
“It’s a big tournament and I wanted to make it better this year. I will be ready for the next one,” she said.
This season Pliskova has already won two titles in Brisbane and Doha. In the next round the Czech will play 27th seed Yania Putintseva, who she has already beaten on the tour this year. Putintseva moved into the last 32 after dismissing Carina Witthoeft 6-4, 6-4.
Cibulkova battles through
Dominika Cibulkova also scored a straight sets victory in her second round clash. Facing qualifier Veronica Cepede Royg, the Slovakian triumphed 6-3, 6-2, in just over 90 minutes. Despite the deceivingly straightforward score, a tentative Cibulkova was made to work by the underdog. Ultimately, it was Cibulkova’s experience that prevailed in what was Royg’s first ever match against a top-20 player.
“I just stayed aggressive,” said Cibulkova via wtatennis.com. “It was my first match here, so it was pretty hot and it wasn’t easy conditions. But I made it through. I’d never played her before, so that’s always a new experience. I’m glad I got the job done.”
There will be no ease for Cibulkova in the following round with a meeting against Kirsten Flipkens awaiting her. Former top-15 player Flipkens outlasted Ana Konjuh, 7-6(4), 6-7(6), 6-2.
Elsewhere at the tournament, China’s Zhang Shuai required almost three hours to defeat Italy’s Sara Errani 4-6, 7-4, 7-5. She is now on course for a meeting with French Open champion Garbine Muguruza, who will play Christina McHale later on Tuesday. 2015 French Open runner-up Lucie Safarova eased past Daria Gavrilova 6-2, 6-2. Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic-Baroni was in serious trouble after going down 1-5 in the third set, before fighting her way back to defeat Kateryna Bondarenko 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(2). It is her first win at the Miami tournament since 1999. Finally, Anastacia Pavlyuchenkova overcame dropping a close opening set by crushingh Yaroslava Shvedova 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-0.
