Flipkens flipped out by Dellacqua

Australian Casey Dellacqua, with an impressive victory over former world number two, Vera Zvonareva in the first round, was faced with 18th seeded Belgian Kirsten Flipkens blocking her path into the third round.
On Hisense Arena Casey set the place alight (as if we needed more heat) with some ripping forehands and broke Flipkens for a 1-0 lead.
Kirsten brought the crowd straight back to reality when she slipped in some clever passing shots, setting up the immediate break back.

Even after such a short period, the pattern was clear - Dellacqua basing her game around big ground strokes, especially on the forehand side, and Flipkens more willing to play forward, using slice at every opportunity.
The girls both held their second attempts at serving, but Casey broke through after that to claim a 3-2 lead.  Her form in winning the wild card play off had certainly held true through to the Open, and she was going to use the chance to the fullest.
Concentrating on the Flipkens backhand, which was not as efficient in this match had the effect of dragging other parts of Kirsten's game down to a level to which she felt uneasy.
Nevertheless, the Belgian did hold serve to contain the damage to just one break of serve until 3-5 when she needed to hold again to remain a rough chance of winning set one.
Casey smiled and shook her head and Flipkens knew what to do.  The 18th seed obediently surrendered her serve to deliver the game and set to the deserving Australian 6-3.  This was one of the better performances I could remember seeing from Dellacqua in all the years of watching her at Melbourne Park.  Her aggression, belief in her own game plan and unshakability in face of adversity all were on display to varying degrees in set one.  She still had to win two to advance though.

Winning the second set was not a shock, considering how well she had been playing - the manner in which she took apart Kirsten Flipkens was unforeseen, though in any  prematch forecast.  Whoever shook hands with Casey at the net after full time was called, resembled something that once may have been Flipkens.

Second set 6-0 to the Aussie, with winners everywhere, amid the chaos that was emanating from the Flipkens racquet.
Casey flew the flag for Australia on this day 6-3 6-0 and she would have at least one more chance to do so again in singles at the Open in 2014.