The top seeded and the German players will not enter the WTA Premier Tournament in Rome until Tuesday. Monday was dedicated to the local heroes.
The important things first: Roberta Vinci has said goodbye to the Roman audience, the striking backhand slice will no longer bury itself in the red ash in Foro Italico. Vinci, the wild card recipient, faced Aleksandra Krunic, the lucky loser. Won first set with 6:2, then made only three games. The US Open finalist from 2015 will be able to get over it, hardly anyone seems to be as pure as Roberta Vinci on the WTA tour.
She was proud of herself, her tennis and her career, which Vinci gave the fans Pietrangeli. Exactly.
Also out of the picture: Francesca Schiavone, the second great lady of Italian tennis in her prime. Schiavone even made it to the Grand Slam Championesse (in Roland Garros), against Dominica Cibulkova was over after three sets. It is quite possible that Schiavone will not return either, there have already been enough hints in this direction.
Glad to be on the other side is Victoria Azarenka. After the exhausting custody dispute over son Leo, the Belarusian is finally allowed to play again. However, the winner of Indian Wells, Naomi Osaka, said right at the beginning. The Japanese player, coached by Sascha Bajin, didn’t care much about late Mother’s Day gifts, beating Azarenka 6:0 and 6:3. And now meets the world’s first Simona Halep.
Madison Keys, already a finalist in Rome, had no problems with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. And Johanna Konta profited from Petra Kvitova’s longest possible appearance in Madrid: Including the award ceremony, the Czech was on the pitch in the Caja Magical for too long, said no for the tournament in Rome at short notice. Although Kvitova is a tourist in the eternal city.
Here the ladies’ tableau in Rome