Top-ranked Ash Barty came from a set down to beat Caroline Garcia of France 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 Tuesday in the second round of the Wuhan Open.
Garcia beat Barty in the 2017 Wuhan final, but the Australian No. 1 managed to cut down on her mistakes after making 19 unforced errors in the first set.
“I had to make some small adjustments in the second set,” said Barty, who will next face Sofia Kenin of the United States. “It was just about me being a little bit smarter with my serving and trying to be in control in those first couple of points.”
Second-seeded Karolina Pliskova followed up her win in Zhengzhou last week by coming from a break down in both sets to beat American teenager Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 6-3.
Wimbledon champion Simona Halep and third-ranked Elina Svitolina also advanced.
Halep beat Barbora Strycova 6-3, 6-2 to improve her unbeaten record against the Czech player to 6-0. Svitolina ousted two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza 7-5, 6-2.
Svitolina showed no sign of the knee problem that forced to retire from a match during last week’s tournament in Guangzhou and came from a break down in the first set to keep alive her hopes of qualifying for the WTA Finals in Shenzhen.
Also Tuesday, No. 10-seeded Sloane Stephens beat China’s Wang Yafan 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.
Ashleigh Barty of Australia in action during her second-round match at the 2019 Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open Premier 5 tennis tournament against Caroline Garcia of France on September 24, 2019 in Wuhan, China. [Cover Picture: IC]
