Tennis: Halep, Pliskova through, Muguruza out

INDIAN WELLS, United States: World number one Simona Halep and fifth seed Karolina Pliskova eased through their WTA Indian Wells openers on Friday but reigning Wimbledon champ Garbine Muguruza bit the dust in the California desert.

Halep beat Karolina’s sister Kristyna Pliskova 6-4, 6-4 while Karolina eased past Irina-Camelia Begu 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 to reach the third round of the combined WTA/ATP hardcourt tournament.

Muguruza became the first major casualty of the event, suffering a shock 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 defeat to world number 100 Sachia Vickery. Muguruza, who was seeded third here, was named WTA player of the year last year after winning titles in Wimbledon and Cincinnati. The 24-year-old also reached number one in the world in September and was ranked third heading into Indian Wells. This the Spaniard’s first loss to a player ranked in the 100s since she was beaten by Jana Cepelova (124) at Wimbledon in 2016. Muguruza had five double faults and had her serve broken five times in the two hour, 11 minute night match.

Crowd favourite Vickery posted her first career win over a top 10 player as she served masterfully and controlled the rallies with her ground strokes. Vickery said the partisan crowd motivated her. Halep roared into the third round by overpowering Kristyna in straight sets. The 26-year-old Romanian will meet US wildcard Caroline Dolehide who beat Dominika Cibulkova, of Slovakia, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. Halep and Caroline Wozniacki have been taking turns at No. 1 this year. Denmark’s Wozniacki took the world number one ranking after beating Halep in three sets in the Australian Open final, but Halep reclaimed it from her just prior to Indian Wells. Wozniacki will play her first match of the tournament on Saturday against qualifier Lara Arruabarrena.

Halep won three out of the final four games in the second set, claiming victory when her opponent sailed a forehand long on the first match point.

Fifth-ranked Karolina Pliskova smashed four aces and won 76 percent of her first serve points in her 92 minute victory over Begu.

ATP/WTA Indian Wells results:

Women 2nd rd

Simona Halep (ROM x1) bt Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) 6-4, 6-4

Wang Qiang (CHN) bt Elise Mertens (BEL x22) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3

Kristina Mladenovic (FRA x14) bt Samantha Stosur (AUS) 7-5, 7-5

Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x19) 6-4, 6-3

Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) bt Johanna Konta (GBR x11) 7-6 (7/5), 6-4

Naomi Osaka (JPN) bt Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x31) 6-3, 6-2

Coco Vandeweghe (USA x17) bt Kaia Kanepi (EST) 6-0, 7-6 (8/6)

Petra Kvitova (CZE x9) bt Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-4

Petra Martic (CRO) bt Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE x25) 7-5, 6-4

Amanda Anisimova (USA) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x23) 6-4, 6-1

Zhang Shuai (CHN x32) bt Sofia Kenin (USA) 6-2,6-3

Maria Sakkari (GRE) bt Ashleigh Barty (AUS x16) 6-4, 6-2

Jelena Ostapenko (LET x6) bt Belinda Bencic (SUI) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1

Caroline Dolehide (USA) bt Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x30) 5-7, 6-3, 6-4

Karolina Pliskova (CZE x5) bt Irina-Camelia Begu (ROM) 7-6 (7/4), 6-1

Sachia Vickery (USA) bt Garbine Muguruza (ESP x3) 2-6, 7-5, 6-1.

Men 1st rd

Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) bt Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 6-2, 7-6 (7/4)

Ernesto Escobedo (USA) bt Frances Tiafoe (USA) 7-5, 6-3

Yuki Bhambri (IND) bt Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 7-5, 6-3

Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) bt Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) 7-5, 3-6, 7-5

Joao Sousa (POR) bt Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4)

Tennys Sandgren (USA) bt Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) 6-3, 2-1 retired

Taro Daniel (JPN) bt Cameron Norrie (GBR) 6-3, 1-6, 6-1

Gael Monfils (FRA) bt Matthew Ebden (AUS) 6-3, 6-3

Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) bt Gilles Simon (FRA) 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (7/5), 6-3

Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Viktor Troicki (SRB) 7-6 (7/3), 6-1

Alex de Minaur (AUS) bt Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/5)

Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) bt Bradley Klahn (USA) 6-4, 6-4

Leonardo Mayer (ARG) bt Victor Estrella Burgos (DOM) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1

Dudi Sela (ISR) bt Peter Gojowczyk (GER) 6-4, 6-4

Tim Smyczek (USA) bt Laslo Djere (SRB) 6-3, 6-2

Mischa Zverev (GER) bt Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.