Bencic advances as injured de Minaur out of Adelaide

ADELAIDE: World number seven Belinda Bencic won her first match of the season Monday, but there was agony for Alex de Minaur as the men’s top seed pulled out of the Adelaide International In Australia.

The 22-year-old Swiss beat good friend Daria Kasatkina of Russia 6-4, 6-4. Three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber, promoted to ninth seed when Petra Kvitova withdrew, dominated China’s Wang Qiang 6-1, 6-3.

Kerber won the tournament in 2018 when it was played in Sydney, defeating Ashleigh Barty in the final. Bencic, who lost her last two matches against the qualifier, overcame hot conditions at Memorial Drive as she makes final preparations for next week’s Australian Open.

She survived a first set against Kasatkina featuring five breaks of serve and secured her second-round place with a break in the final game of the second. Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, American Danielle Collins and Croat Donna Vekic were among other women to clear the first hurdle.

A devastated de Minaur withdrew due to an abdominal injury, casting doubt over his fitness for the first major of the season. He was the second seed to pull out of the ATP-WTA event after Novak Djokovic opted to head instead to Melbourne to prepare for his title defence at the opening Grand Slam of the year after leading Serbia to the ATP Cup title in Sydney.

In the men’s draw Britain’s Dan Evans, also fresh from the ATP Cup, beat Argentinian Juan Ignacio Londero 6-2, 6-4 while Jeremy Chardy overcame fellow Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-3, 7-5. Australian wild card James Duckworth lined up a match with second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime after defeating Federico Delbonis 6-4, 6-4.