There had already been Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and Steafanos Tsitsipas on Friday. We must add Karolina Pliskova and Belinda Bencic. At the Australian Open in Melbourne, the third round course continues to be fatal for some headliners. The sixth day of the tournament, Saturday January 25, was thus marked by the exit of the Czech player, number 2 world, and of Switzerland, 6th world.
Karolina Pliskova was beaten by Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 30th in the world, in the aftermath of the premature elimination of title defender Naomi Osaka and favorite Serena Williams, who was looking for a 24th record grand slam title. and 2:25 a.m. of play, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3). Belinda Bencic did not last more than 48 minutes, swept by Estonian Anett Kontaveit (31st in the world) 6-0, 6-1.
For Karolina Pliskova, this loss brings an end to a pretty streak at the Australian Open: since 2013, she had always progressed or done at least as good from year to year. Eliminated in the 1st round in 2013, it reached the 2nd in 2014, then the 3rd in 2015 and 2016, the quarter-finals in 2017 and 2018, and the semi-finals in 2019.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova had never beaten her opponent before. "I don't know what to say … obviously I'm very happy, but it will take me a while to realize", commented the 28-year-old Russian, adding that she is "Very motivated" and "Hope to go further". In 2019 and 2017 she had already reached the quarter-finals in Melbourne.
Simona Halep (4th in the world), for her part, qualified without problem for the round of 16 at the expense of Kazakhe Yulia Putintseva (38th), 6-1, 6-4. The 28-year-old Romanian will find on her road the Belgian Elise Mertens (17th) or the American Catherine Bellis (600th), back in Grand Slam since an elbow surgery in 2018. Halep had been beaten last year in 8th at Melbourne by Serena Williams, a year after losing in the final to Caroline Wozniacki.
