Less than 3 days following retaining her title as champion of the Doha tournament, Chiwentek needed only 72 minutes to beat Fernandez, the 2021 US Open runner-up.
“It was definitely not that easy. It was much more difficult than the result reflects,” said Chivontec, describing the courts as fast as the Australian Open.
“In the second set… I needed to raise my level. I didn’t have much time to get used to the conditions, but I’m happy because I can play tennis hard.”
Chivontec qualified for the third round and set a date with Russian Lyudmila Samsonova, the runner-up in the Abu Dhabi tournament, who qualified for the third round without playing due to the withdrawal of her Chinese competitor Kenwen Jing due to stomach pains.
Quick win for Sabalenka
And Belarusian Ariana Sabalenka, ranked second in the world, needed 59 minutes to achieve a landslide victory over her American opponent, Lauren Davis, 6-0, 6-1, in the second round as well.
Sabalenka will meet in the next round with last year’s defending champion, Jelena Ostapenko, who in turn beat Czech Linda Frohvertova 6-2, 6-0.
American Jessica Pegula, third, also qualified by defeating Bulgarian Victoria Tomova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1.
France’s Caroline Garcia, ranked fifth in the world, left early in the second round, losing to American Madison Keys 7-5, 4-6.
Keys will meet in the next round with Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, who won with great difficulty over the other American Amanda Anisimova 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).
The Greek Maria Sakkari, the sixth seed, was deposited once morest the Czech Karolina Plishkova 1-6, 2-6, while the Czech Barbora Kryczykova qualified at the expense of the seventh Russian Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.
