Ninth-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia advanced to the second round of the Qatar Open on Tuesday after Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova retired from their match with a right knee injury.
Ivanovic was leading 7-5, 1-0 when Hantuchova withdrew after falling 0-40 behind in the second game.
The match started slowly for Ivanovic, who surrendered her first two serves as Hantuchova took a 5-3 lead. But Ivanovic won the next four games to secure the set, winning the ninth game at love with her final three serves being aces. “She started really well, and I managed to get back into the set and break her back,” Ivanovic said. “I played some really good tennis towards the end of that first set and then in the second.”
Wildcard entrant Alisa Kleybanova of Russia also advanced after her opponent retired. Elsewhere, American Bethanie Mattek-Sands upset 15th-seeded Eugenie Bouchard of Canada, a recent Australian Open semifinalist, 7-5, 6-1. Knapp played impressive tennis to defeat Caroline Garcia of France 6-4, 6-1 straight off the plane.
Ivanovic was leading 7-5, 1-0 when Hantuchova withdrew after falling 0-40 behind in the second game.
The match started slowly for Ivanovic, who surrendered her first two serves as Hantuchova took a 5-3 lead. But Ivanovic won the next four games to secure the set, winning the ninth game at love with her final three serves being aces. “She started really well, and I managed to get back into the set and break her back,” Ivanovic said. “I played some really good tennis towards the end of that first set and then in the second.”
Wildcard entrant Alisa Kleybanova of Russia also advanced after her opponent retired. Elsewhere, American Bethanie Mattek-Sands upset 15th-seeded Eugenie Bouchard of Canada, a recent Australian Open semifinalist, 7-5, 6-1. Knapp played impressive tennis to defeat Caroline Garcia of France 6-4, 6-1 straight off the plane.