Cornet stuns Kerber - del Potro withdraws

Day Three of the Rogers Cup, which is surprisingly not played in honour of Roger Federer, would feature second round matches in both the men’s and women’s draws.

The top five women’s seeds were all scheduled to appear, so crowds in Montreal had a treat in store.  It should have been the top 4 men but for the withdrawal of third seed Juan Martin del Potro through a wrist injury.  His place in the main draw was taken by veteran Mikhail Youzhny.

WTA Montreal:

Second round 

• First up was the match between Angie Kerber (4) and Alizé Cornet with the French player breaking the Kerber serve early for a 2-0 lead.

The Wimbledon champion struck back immediately and games were back on serve.

Cornet saw two break points disappear in the fourth game before she hit a winning backhand on her third chance to break for 3-1.

Kerber saved another break point for 2-4.  Cornet continued to serve well and her forehand was dictating a number of rallies. 5-2 in a complete display so far.

Serving for the set at 5-3, the nerves began to show for Cornet and she double faulted to give Kerber 2 break points.  One was saved, but a German forehand winner secured the break and 4-5 back on serve for Kerber.

Kerber saved a set point next game with a backhand winner, but on the second set point Cornet hit a backhand winner to take the lead 6-4.

From 40-0 in game one of set two, Cornet saw it slip to face a break point.  She saved that and led 1-0, sealing the game with an ace.

A French backhand winner combined with several Kerber errors gave Cornet a 2-0 lead.

Three winning Cornet forehands and 3-0

In the sixth game, Kerber saved five break points but not the sixth and Cornet would then serve for the match at 5-1.

One match point saved with a Kerber backhand winner. 

A winning volley saved a break point and another set up a second match point which was converted.

Alizé Cornet won 6-4 6-1

• Ash Barty (15) defeated Alison Van Uytvanck 7-6(7) 6-2
• Qualifier Carla Suárez Navarro defeated Lesia Tsurenko 6-4 3-2 (retired)
• Maria Sharapova shocked Daria Kasatkina (12) 6-0 6-2
• Kiki Bertens upset Karolina Pliskova (9) 6-2 6-2
• Sloane Stephens (3) defeated wildcard Francoise Abanda 6-0 6-2
• Elina Svitolina (5) defeated Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-3 6-7(5) 4-3 (retired)
• Anastasija Sevastova defeated lucky loser Monica Puig 4-6 7-6(9) 6-1
• Elise Mertens (14) defeated Shuai Zhang 6-2 6-7(2) 6-0

Rain interrupted things while Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova led Simona Halep (1) 4-3 and Johanna Konta led Vika Azarenka 6-3 3-0, with two other matches yet to start.  Sometime we will see Caroline Wozniacki play in Montreal.

ATP Toronto:

Second round 

• Novak Djokovic (9) defeated wildcard Peter Polansky 6-3 6-4
• Robin Haase defeated lucky loser Mikhail Youzhny 7-5 6-2
• Karen Khachanov defeated Pablo Carreno Busta (12) 6-4 7-6(3)
• Belarusian qualifier Ilya Ivashka, ranked 125, defeated fellow qualifier Ryan Harrison 7-6(5) 6-4
• Denis Shapovalov defeated Fabio Fognini (14) 6-3 7-5
• John Isner (8) defeated qualifier Pierre-Hugues Herbert 7-6(3) 6-2
• Frances Tiafoe defeated Milos Raonic 7-6(4) 4-6 6-1
• Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Dominic Thiem (7) 6-3 7-6(6)
• Rafa Nadal (1) defeated Benoit Paire 6-2 6-3
• Sascha Zverev (2) defeated qualifier Bradley Klahn 6-4 6-4
• Kevin Anderson (4) defeated qualifier Evgeny Donskoy 4-6 6-2 7-6(0)
• Wildcard Stan Wawrinka defeated Marton Fucsovics 1-6 7-6(2) 7-6(10), for the  second match in a row being thrashed in the opening set before a battling fight back.
• Diego Schwartzman (11) defeated Sam Querrey 6-4 3-6 6-1
• Qualifier Daniil Medvedev defeated wildcard Felix Auger-Aliassime 3-6 6-4 7-6(7)