SYDNEY: Germany’s Angelique Kerber overcame the loss of the first set on a day of extreme heat in Sydney as she maintained her build-up to next week’s Australian Open on Monday.

The fourth seed, one of the few members of the women’s world top 10 not to be hit by injury in the lead-up to the year’s first Grand Slam, came from a set down to oust Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 in Sydney International’s first round.

Kerber, who lost to Victoria Azarenka in Saturday’s Brisbane International final, is looking for more matches to hone her form leading into the Australian Open in Melbourne.

While defending champion Petra Kvitova and second seed Agnieszka Radwanska pulled out of the Sydney event citing injuries, Kerber powered on to get in some valuable match practice.

Kvitova and Radwanska’s withdrawals came after injury problems at other Australian tournaments for the world’s top-ranked stars including Serena Williams (knee), Simona Halep (Achilles), Garbine Muguruza (foot) and Maria Sharapova (forearm).

Kerber struggled with the intense heat early in her match, dropping the opening set without winning a game, but she battled on.

“It’s good to have a match like this under my belt. It’s always hot in Australia. I think it was a good match to prepare for Melbourne,” she said.

With temperatures hitting 37 Celsius (99 Farenheit) the WTA’s extreme heat policy came into force, allowing Kerber and Svitolina to take a 10-minute break before the third and deciding set.

Results (x denotes seed):

Men’s:

First round: Alexander Sarkissian (USA) bt Simone Bolelli (ITA) 6-2, 7-6 (7/5); Andreas Seppi (ITA x5) bt Denis Istomin (UZB) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2; Pablo Cuevas (URU) bt Maximilian Marterer (GER) 6-4, 6-4; Jordan Thompson (AUS) bt Martin Klizan (SVK) 6-2, 4-0 (retired - shoulder injury); Tommy Robredo (ESP) bt John Millman (AUS) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.

Women’s:

First round: Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) bt Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 6-2, 6-1; Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) bt Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) 6-1, 7-6 (7/1); Sabine Lisicki (GER) bt Polona Hercog (SLO) 6-4, 6-3; Angelique Kerber (GER x4) bt Elina Svitolina (UKR) 4-6, 6-0, 6-3; Sara Errani (ITA) bt Carla Suarez (ESP x7) 6-3, 6-3; Belinda Bencic (SUI x8) bt Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) 7-6 (8/6), 1-6, 6-4; Monica Puig (PUR) bt Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 6-2, 3-6, 6-4; Samantha Stosur (AUS) bt Roberta Vinci (ITA) 4-6, 7-5, 7-5.

BOUCHARD SWEEPS INTO NEXT ROUND

HOBART: Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard swept into the second round of the Hobart International with a straight sets demolition of American Bethanie Mattek-Sands on Monday.

The former world number 5 now ranked 47 took just 57 minutes to dispose of one-time tournament finalist Mattek-Sands 6-2, 6-1.

Bouchard, 21, who reached the semi-finals of the 2014 Australian and French Opens before playing in the final at Wimbledon in the same year, suffered a big setback at the US Open last September.

She sustained a head injury after slipping in the locker room and was forced to pull out of her fourth-round match at Flushing Meadows with a concussion, which also forced her to withdrew from an event in Wuhan, China later that month.

Results:

First round: Mona Barthel (GER x9) bt Misaki Doi (JPN) 6-4, 6-4; Nao Hibino (JPN) bt Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 7-6 (7/1), 6-1; Naomi Osaka (JPN) bt Jarmila Wolfe (AUS) 6-7 (6/8) 7-6 (10/8) 6-4; Kiki Bertens (NED) bt Madison Brengle (USA x5) 6-0, 1-1 (retired); Annika Beck (GER) bt Kurumi Nara (JPN) 6-4, 6-3; Kimberly Birrell (AUS) bt Danka Kovinic (MNE) 6-4, 6-3; Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x3) bt Johanna Konta (GBR) 7-6 (8/6), 7-5; Veronica Cepede (PAR) bt Laura Pous (ESP) 6-3, 2-6, 6-1; Johanna Larsson (SWE) bt Barbora Strycova (CZE x6) 6-4, 6-4; Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) bt Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) 6-2, 6-1; Monica Niculescu (ROM x4) bt Christina McHale (USA) 7-5, 7-5; Heather Watson (GBR) bt Teliana Pereira (BRA) 6-3, 6-0.

KARLOVIC FALLS

AUCKLAND: Big-serving Croat Ivo Karlovic became the first seed to fall at the Auckland Classic on Monday, losing in straight sets to Canada’s Vasek Pospisil.

With the tournament’s big names, including four-time champion David Ferrer, enjoying a first-round bye, the focus was on Karlovic as the only seeded player in action on day one of the Australian Open warm-up event.

But he failed to fire on centre court and Pospisil, ranked 16 places below the world number 23 ground out a 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 victory.

The Canadian’s win sets up a second-round tie against his doubles partner Jack Sock of the United States who defeated Dominican Victor Estrella Burgos 6-0, 6-4.

American Donald Young eased past local wildcard Finn Tearney 6-2, 6-3.

Results:

First round: Vasek Pospisil (CAN) vs Ivo Karlovic (CRO x7) 7-6 (7/4), 7-5; Matthew Barton (AUS) bt Steve Johnson (USA) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Robin Haase (NED) bt Pablo Andujar (ESP) 6-4, 6-1; Jack Sock (USA) bt Victor Estrella Burgos (DOM) 6-0, 6-4; Donald Young (USA) bt Finn Tearney (NZL) 6-2, 6-3; Thiemo de Bakker (NED) bt Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) 6-3, 6-4.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2016