DAY 2 of the 2020 Volvo Car Open fantasy tournament started with a bang, seeing three American competitors and two Czech talents knocked out of contention. With seven of the 12 matches going to three sets, it was a tough day of competition with little easy wins.

The biggest win of the day saw Elise Mertens come in red hot against ninth seed Aryna Sabalenka. Mertens was in for a tough one, seeing the Belgian win the first set before Sabalenka used her skill to win back the second. The two players proved how well they know the other, having played doubles together in the past, no doubt using everything they had to push it to the limit before Mertens reigned supreme in a tight third set, 6-2 3-6 7-5. 

Sabalenka has had a relatively successful run thus far in 2020 but will be disappointed by this early loss. The 22-year-old Belarusian was the only seeded player knocked out in this half of the draw, with top 20 talent in Canadian, Bianca Andreescu, American, Madison Keys and Brit, Johanna Konta all making it through the first round.

Keys had a relatively easy time of it, coming up against compatriot Jennifer Brady and running Brady off her feet with her constant pressure, collecting a 6-4 6-2 victory in no time flat, while Konta had a slow start against her Latvian opposition in Jelena Ostapenko, dropping the first set but well in control from then on. 12th seed Andreescu also overcame a tough first set against China’s Qiang Wang, which saw Qiang clinical in the beginning before fading off in the middle but putting up a real challenge in the third set to take it to a tie-breaker. 

Meanwhile, qualifier Carla Suarez Navarro put in an impressive effort against up-and-coming 22-year-old Tamara Zidansek, running her down in just over an hour, 6-2 6-3. The young Slovenian put in a tough effort against the Spanish veteran but was ultimately unable to compete. Fellow youngster Dayana Yastremska was more fortunate in her match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, dismissing the talented Russian in straight sets, though 16-year-old young gun Coco Gauff did not go down without a fight, dropping the first to Marketa Vondrousova before clawing back to no avail.

In other results, no nation was unfairly represented in the winning tally with Kristina Mladenovic, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Monica Puig and Julia Goerges all winning in three set battles, while Donna Vekic collected a solid victory in just over an hour to head into the second round.

In the match of the day tomorrow, Maria Sakkari takes on 15th seed, Petra Martic, while the highest ranked unseeded player in young gun, Elena Rybakina faces off against 11th seed, Garbine Muguruza.

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ROUND OF 64 RESULTS:

Elise Mertens (BEL) defeated [9] Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) 6-2 3-6 7-5
[12] Bianca Andreescu (CAN) defeated Qiang Wang (CHN) 4-6 6-4 7-5
[14] Madison Keys (USA) defeated [Q] Jennifer Brady (USA) 6-4 6-2
[16] Johanna Konta (GBR) defeated Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) 2-6 6-3 6-3
Donna Vekic (CRO) defeated Polona Hercog (SLO) 6-2 6-3
[Q] Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) defeated Tamara Zidansek (SLO) 6-4 6-3
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) defeated Alison Riske (USA) 6-3 1-6 6-2
Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) defeated Barbora Strycova (CZE) 3-6 6-4 6-4
Monica Puig (PUE) defeated Shuai Zhang (CHN) 6-1 4-6 6-3
Dayana Yastremska (UKR) defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 7-5 6-4
Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) defeated Coco Gauff (USA) 6-1 7-6
Julia Goerges (GER) defeated Karolina Muchova (CZE) 6-7 7-5 6-3