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Miami - Eugenie Bouchard's poor run of form continued
on Wednesday as the Canadian suffered a first-round exit at the hands of
Australia's Ashleigh Barty at the Miami Open.
Wildcard Barty's 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 win sets up an all-Australian
clash in the second round of the WTA hard-court event against 14th seed
Samantha Stosur.
But for the 23-year-old Bouchard, a former world number five
who has slumped to 56th in the rankings, it was another blow after her
first-round exit in Indian Wells.
"It has been a bit of a struggle," said a
stone-faced Bouchard, who was unable to account for her loss of form.
Bouchard was a beaten finalist at Wimbledon in 2014 but,
apart from a run to the semi-final at Sydney where she was beaten by Britain's
Johanna Konta, she has been unable to make an impact this year.
Barty reproduced the gutsy tennis that helped her secure her
maiden WTA title at the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur last month.
"We've had a good pre-season and get a good foundation
and the stars aligned a bit for us this year so far. We have worked hard and it
is just that hard work starting to pay off," said the Australian.
The 20-year-old, who took time out from tennis in 2014 to
play cricket, has never come up against her compatriot Stosur before and while
she will start as clear underdog, she is relishing the challenge.
"It will be good. Obviously we have trained together
and hit a lot so it will be interesting. I am really excited. For me it is just
another opportunity to go out and play," she said.
Serbia's Jelena Jankovic was another high-profile early
exit, the 2008 Miami finalist falling 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) to Kazakhstan's
Yaroslava Shvedova.
Local favourite and Rio Olympic gold medallist Monica Puig
was comfortably dealt with 6-2, 6-4 by Romanian Sorana Cirstea.
The Puerto Rican Miami-resident struggled from the outset
and although she battled back well in the second set, Cirstea kept her cool to
book a second round meeting with Latvian 19th seed Anastasija Sevastova.
Britain's Heather Watson, who reached the fourth round in Miami last year, was beaten 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 by Romanian qualifier Patricia Maria Tig.
Results from ATP and WTA Miami Open on Wednesday:
Men
1st rd
Dudi Sela (ISR) bt Christian Harrison (USA) 6-1, 6-1
Nicolas Mahut (FRA) bt Michael Mmoh (USA) 6-3, 6-2
Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) bt Jordan Thompson (AUS) 1-6, 6-4, 6-3
Jiri Vesely (CZE) bt Tommy Haas (GER) 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 7-5
Viktor Troicki (SRB) bt Thiago Monteiro (BRA) 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
Jeremy Chardy (FRA) bt Facundo Bagnis (ARG) 6-2, 6-2
Fabio Fognini (ITA) bt Ryan Harrison (USA) 6-4, 7-5
Benot Paire (FRA) bt Martin Klizan (SVK) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3
Donald Young (USA) bt Dustin Brown (GER) 6-3, 1-6, 6-2
Federico Del Bonis (ARG) bt Juan Monaco (ARG) 7-5, 7-6 (7/4)
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Aljaz Bedene (GBR) 7-5, 4-0 abandon
Ernesto Escobedo (USA) bt Daniel Evans (GBR) 7-5, 0-6, 6-3
Taylor Fritz (USA) bt Adam Pavlasek (CZE) 6-2, 6-3
Jared Donaldson (USA) bt Kyle Edmund (GBR) 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2
Kevin Anderson (RSA) bt Dusan Lajovic (SRB) 6-2, 7-5
Guido Pella (ARG) bt Tim Smyczek (USA) 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)
Women
Patricia Tig (ROM) bt Heather Watson (GBR) 7-6 (7/4), 6-1
Ashleigh Barty (AUS) bt Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) 6-4, 5-7, 6-3
Christina McHale (USA) bt Annika Beck (GER) 6-7 (2/7), 7-5, 6-0
Lucie Safarova (CZE) bt Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 7-6 (7/2), 6-4
Veronica Cepede (PAR) bt Misaki Doi (JPN) 6-2, 6-4
Wang Qiang (CHN) bt Donna Vekic (CRO) 0-6, 6-4, 6-2
Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) bt Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
Jana Cepelova (SVK) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER) 6-2, 6-4
Madison Brengle (USA) bt Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
Alja Tomljanovic (CRO) bt Magda Linette (POL) 6-2, 1-6, 6-2
Varvara Lepchenko (USA) bt Lauren Davis (USA) 6-3, 6-3
Pauline Parmentier (FRA) bt Oceane Dodin (FRA) 6-2, 6-1
Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) bt Alize Cornet (FRA) 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
Anett Kontaveit (EST) bt Kurumi Nara (JPN) 6-2, 6-1
Taylor Townsend (USA) bt Amanda Anisimova (USA) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
Risa Ozaki (JPN) bt Louisa Chirico (USA) 3-6, 7-5, 6-1
Shelby Rogers (USA) bt Marina Erakovic (NZL) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)
Julia Goerges (GER) bt Alison Riske (USA) 7-5, 6-3
Sorana Cirstea (ROM) bt Monica Puig (PUR) 6-2, 6-4
