Fans take shelter as rain stops play between Jade Lewis and Venus Williams. Photo / Dean Purcell
Fans take shelter as rain stops play between Jade Lewis and Venus Williams. Photo / Dean Purcell
The weather has once again played the spoiler at the ASB Tennis Centre, with the evening session disrupted by heavy rain in Auckland.
After a virtual wash-out on day one, organisers did well to catch up on the opening round matches today, getting through all the scheduled matches in the day session. But just 20 minutes into the evening session the heavens opened, forcing the players from the court.
The break was perhaps a fortuitous one for tournament second-seed Venus Williams, who was looking rusty early on in her match against Kiwi youngster Jade Lewis. The 18-year-old, playing in her first WTA-level match, started confidently against the former world number one and seven-time grand slam winner, going three break points up in the opening game.
Williams managed to salvage her first service game, but Lewis has proven equal to the task, holding her opening two serves to keep pace with the American great.
The first set was poised at 2-all when the players were forced inside.
The Danish former world No 1 finished the 2016 season well - with a run to the last four of the US Open and titles in Tokyo and Hong Kong - and continued that form yesterday with an imperious display.
Wozniacki forced eight break point opportunities, taking three of them and was never really tested on her serve.
The 26-year-old has never won the ASB Classic - Wozniacki was the runner-up in 2015 and a semi finalist last year - but she gave an early indication that she will be one of the favourites in 2017.
Marina Erakovic's hopes of a 2017 career resurgence have taken a hit, after the Kiwi number one was bundled out of the ASB Classic in straight sets today.
Erakovic was outclassed by Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko 6-1 6-2 in their opening-round match-up.
Third up on centrecourt in a bumper day of action, Erakovic never really fired a shot, as she was bundled out in 69 minutes by the tournament's seventh seed.
Earlier, teenage prodigy Naomi Osaka made quick work of Annika Beck, completing a 6-2 6-4 win over the German in a match that got underway yesterday.
The 19-year-old stormed to the first set 6-2 and was up 2-1, before rain pulled her off the court on Day One. But she picked up from where she left off to advance through to a second round match-up against the winner between Kiwi wild card Jade Lewis and American star Venus Williams.
Czech Barbora Strycova also moved into the second round with straight-sets victory over compatriot Barbora Stefkova, a qualifier, 6-4 6-3.
But Croatian Mirjana Lucic-Baroni was made to work hard by German qualifier Mona Barthel, before taking booking her spot at the next stage, 6-3 3-6 6-3.
Strycova will now play yet another Czech, Lucie Safarova, in the second round, while Lucic-Baroni takes on Ostapenko.
Australia's Arina Rodionova bites her racquet during her singles match on the opening day of the ASB Classic. Photo/Photosport
Earlier, Australian Arina Rodionova nailed down the final qualifying berth in the main draw and must return to the court later today for her opening-round clash.
Rodionova overcame qualifying top seed Nao Hibino of Japan 6-3 6-7 6-4 in another match that began before the weather forced a halt to yesterday's play.
She was ahead 3-2 in the third set, when the encounter resumed this afternoon and quickly finished her rival off in contest that went 2h 43m over the two days.
Rodionova, ranked 187 in the world, is now scheduled to take on 89th-ranked American Varvara Lepchenko tonight.
