Kvitova, Sharapova power into second round

Updated January 17, 2012 17:50:03

Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova powered into the second round of the Australian Open as Russia's Maria Sharapova also won her first match with ease.

After going 2-0 down at the start of the match, Kvitova won 12 straight games to sweep aside Russia's Vera Dushevina in straight sets 6-2, 6-0 in 71 minutes.

The Czech left-hander dropped her first service game but once she found her range there was nothing Dushevina could do to stop the onslaught.

Kvitova, 21, who reached the quarter-finals in Melbourne last year, broke the Russian three times in each set and faced only two break points on her own serve, underlining her dominance.

"After a slow beginning it was fine," Kvitova said. "You know, it looks easy, the score, but it wasn't. The games, some were very close and I'm glad that I'm through."

Kvitova now goes on to play Carla Suarez Navarro after the tricky Spaniard beat Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu 6-1, 7-5.

Former champion Sharapova demolished Argentina's Gisela Dulko 6-0, 6-1 in less than an hour.

Sharapova, who won the title in 2008, was at her ruthless best as she overpowered the Argentine in stifling conditions.

It was an impressive display by Sharapova against a player who was once ranked as high as 26 in the world.

The Russian fourth seed also showed no signs of a left ankle injury that forced her to withdraw from the Brisbane International two weeks ago.

Sharapova claimed the first set in just 25 minutes and did not lose a game until 2-0 in the second set, when her serve temporarily deserted her. But she quickly recovered to break straight back and run away with the match.

"I knew I had a tough opponent today," a delighted Sharapova said afterwards. "I focused on every point and took her time away - she's a player who loves time on the ball."

Sharapova has a relatively easy passage into the third round with her next opponent US qualifier Jamie Hampton.

German 14th seed Sabine Lisicki survived a scare from Swiss qualifier Stefanie Voegele to win 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, while Slovakia's 17th seed Dominika Cibulkova thumped fellow countrywoman Magdalena Rybarikova 6-3, 6-1.

Two seeded Russians also progressed. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (15) downed Czech Klara Zakopalova 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 and Maria Kirilenko (27) beat Australia's Jarmila Gajdosova 6-4, 6-2.

Elsewhere, Israel's Shahar Peer was a 6-2, 6-0 winner over Isabella Holland of Australia, Canadian Alexsandra Wozniak beat China's Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-3 and Vania King of the US downed Ukraine's Kateryna Bondarenko 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.

AFP

Tags: australian-open, tennis, sport, melbourne-3000

First posted January 17, 2012 15:52:44

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I need more power: Tomic

Updated January 08, 2012 19:16:05

Andy Murray has no doubts Bernard Tomic will one day be a force on the ATP tour but the ever-rising teenager knows he needs far more power to mix it with the world's best this year.

A straight sets domination by Murray on Saturday delivered a harsh reality check to Tomic who started 2012 with his first-ever semi-final finish.

No longer a spindly junior, the lanky Gold Coaster has bulked up to 92kg and used his muscle to overpower the likes of Denis Istomin, Julien Benneteau and Tatsuma Ito at the Brisbane International.

The victories will see his ranking improve to a career-best number 37 ahead of the Australian Open - a good reward for his greater maturity and strength.

But Murray showed Tomic, who immediately hit the weights in a one-hour gym session after his 6-3 6-2 defeat, he still needs to power-up further to deliver his 2012 intentions of breaking into the top ten.

"If you hit the ball hard to him, he can hit it hard back," the 19-year-old said of his Scottish opponent.

"Some other players when you hit hard to them they can pop a short ball, but not the best like him.

"And he moves really good - it's very hard hard to hit a winner.

"I need more power."

The last of the big four - Murray, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal - to play Tomic, the Scot knows he is "going to be good, you just never know how good".

"He's already an excellent player," the world number four said.

"You know he had Djokovic on the ropes in the Wimbledon quarters.

"Had he physically been maybe a little bit stronger he could have maybe won that match.

"He's got a big frame and he's a big guy and so once he fills out and gets stronger he's going to be even tougher so he's got a good future for sure."

The similarly towering Juan Martin del Potro believes Tomic might achieve something special as soon as this year.

Speaking ahead of his first round match on Tuesday at the Sydney International, Argentina's US Open winner nominated Tomic and Canadian 21-year-old Milos Raonic as the two players to watch in 2012.

"I like the way Raonic plays and Tomic also," he said on Sunday.

"There could be a surprise for this year.

"(Tomic) is very intelligent on the court. He has the weapons to be a good player.

"He's still young but he's working for it ... he's very young, (when) I was young, I was doing my steps very slow like him.

"Maybe this year or next year, he'll be winning many tournaments."

Del Potro, who stands at an imposing 198cm and nudges the scales past 90kg, appreciates how tough it can be for the bigger players on tour and has had to endure his share of injuries after his breakthrough US Open win in 2009.

But as far as movement is concerned del Potro believes his fellow tall timber has got it nailed.

"He's tall, but he moves very, very well for his size," del Potro said.

AAP

Tags: tennis, sport, brisbane-4000, qld, australia

First posted January 08, 2012 18:48:26

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Czechs power past Bulgaria

Updated January 02, 2012 19:24:42

Czech Republic lived up to its Hopman Cup number one seeding, defeating Bulgaria 2-1 in Perth.

Women's world number two Petra Kvitova powered past Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova 6-4, 6-2 before men's world number seven Tomas Berdych overcame a plucky Grigor Dimitrov in three tough sets, 6-4, 6-7 (9-11), 6-3.

Dimitrov put up a good fight throughout the high-quality contest that lasted just over two hours, saving two match points in the second set tie-break before being outgunned in the third set.

"He was playing really well," Berdych said of Dimitrov.

"He's going to be really dangerous this year.

"But I'm pretty happy to start the year with a win. It gives you more confidence to have the first win of the year."

Earlier, Kvitova needed just 75 minutes to defeat Pironkova, with the comprehensive victory giving the Wimbledon champion a perfect start to 2012 after her breakthrough 2011 campaign.

Pironkova looked hesitant at times and did not have the guns to match Kvitova, who was far more clinical with her ground strokes.

Bulgaria won the dead mixed doubles rubber 2-6, 6-3, 11-9 (match tie-break).

AAP

Tags: tennis, sport, perth-6000

First posted January 02, 2012 17:33:14

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