Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka made successful returns after long layoffs on Tuesday, fine-tuning their preparations ahead of the Australian Open in different WTA tournaments here.
World No. 1 Barty showed little rust to comfortably beat Ana Bogdan 6-3, 6-3 in the Yarra Valley Classic, while Osaka made light work of France’s Alize Cornet 6-2, 6-2 in the second round of the Gippsland Trophy.
In doubles action at the Yarra Valley Classic, India’s Ankita Raina and her Dutch partner were beaten 6-2, 7-6(2) by Japanese third seeds Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara in a round of 16 match.
Important results:
WTA Yarra Valley Classic: Second round: Ashleigh Barty bt Ana Bogdan 6-3, 6-3; Nadia Podoroska bt Greet Minnen 6-3, 6-4; Petra Kvitova bt Venus Williams 7-6(6), 7-5; Garbine Muguruza bt Alison Van Uytvanck 6-2, 6-0; Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova bt Anastasija Sevastova 6-0, 6-3; Sofia Kenin bt Camila Giorgi 7-5, 0-0 retd.
Gippsland Trophy: Second round: Iga Swiatek bt Kaja Juvan 2-6, 6-2, 6-1; Kaia Kanepi bt Aryna Sabalenka 6-1, 2-6, 6-1; Elise Mertens bt Mayo Hibi 6-2, 6-2; Caroline Garcia bt Timea Babos 6-4, 6-4; Johanna Konta bt Bernarda Pera 6-2, 6-3; Katie Boulter bt Coco Gauff 3-6, 7-5, 6-2; Naomi Osaka bt Alize Cornet 6-2, 6-2.
ATP Murray River Open: First round: Gilles Simon bt Elias Ymer 6-4, 6-4; Emil Ruusuvuori bt Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-4; Nick Kyrgios bt Alexandre Muller 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(4); Jiri Vesely bt Frederico Silva 6-4, 6-4; Yuichi Sugita bt Quentin Halys 3-6, 7-6(3), 7-5;
Great Ocean Road Open: First round: Matthew Ebden bt Federico Del Bonis 6-3, 7-6(6); Thiago Monteiro bt Thomas Fancutt 6-4, 6-4; Robin Haase bt Kimmer Coppejans 6-4, 6-3; Pablo Cuevas bt Pablo Andujar 6-4, 6-2; Sam Querrey bt Henri Laaksonen 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-0; Tennys Sandgren bt John-Patrick Smith 6-3, 5-7, 6-4; .
