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Day 2 As It Happened: Former Champ Sloane Survives, Bertens Cruises

By Volvo Car Open Apr 2, 2019 11:44pm ET

That’s a wrap
Well, for a day that didn’t start – tennis-wise – until 1pm, we sure filled it. The forecast is vastly improved tomorrow (the sun! It returns!) and the schedule is jam-packed.

For now, it’s a good-night from Lowcountry.  

Kiki Bertens def. Martina Trevisan 6-2 6-1
That was a masterclass. In 59 minutes Bertens is through with the loss of just three games. She finishes the match with a blistering forehand – one of many for her tonight.

That means the top two seeds – both Stephens and Bertens – are safely into round three and off the clock until Thursday. 

Bertens wasting no time…
The last time Kiki Bertens was on this court she was champion of the Volvo Car Open in 2018. Tonight, in her first match of the 2019 campaign, she’s raced to a 6-2 4-1 lead on the qualifier Martina Trevisan. Talk about being laser-focused! 

Laura Siegemund def. Emma Navarro 7-5 6-4 
It was a valiant effort from Navarro, but Siegemund’s experience wins out. The German saves a set point in the first and then fights off a really strong rally from the local hope in set two. “I’m sorry — I’m just doing my job,” Siegemund said on court after her win.

She next plays Caroline Wozniacki on Wednesday afternoon. 

Earlier: Navarro gets hometown welcome




Navarro has set point but can’t close
Close but no can do for 17-year-old Emma, who had a set point on Siegemund’s serve at 4-5 but couldn’t convert. The German reeled off four games in a row to take the first 7-5 after being down 3-5.

Things are going back-and-forth in set two between them… 

Danielle Collins def. Madison Brengle, 6-3 6-1
No time to waste for Collins, who is flying high after her semifinal appearance at the Australian Open in January. The Florida native and former NCAA champ at Virginia lost just four games against Brengle, a player she had lost twice to on the ITF Pro Circuit. Collins next gets little-known Aliona Bolsova Zadoinov, ranked No. 147.

A busy day turns to a busier evening…
We’ve got a lot going on tonight… OK, let’s get to it:

—Maria Sakkari has come through in three sets against lucky loser Conny Perrin, 7-5 3-6 6-1. She said she’s going to reward herself with a burger from Little Jack’s Tavern, a local favorite.
–No. 1 seeds in doubles Melichar/Peschke have survived a scare, beating Larsson/Tomljanovic 6-1 2-6 [11-9].
–No. 3 seeds Atawo/Srebotnik def. Bencic/Pliskova 6-2 6-1
–No. 4 seeds Groenefeld/Rosolska def. Christian/Spears 6-1 6-4.

And, Charleston teen Emma Navarro has walked onto Stadium for her first career WTA match, set to play Laura Siegemund. Want to watch? If you’re in the U.S. then tune into Tennis Channel

Sloane Stephens def. Sara Sorribes Tormo 7-6(4) 7-6(4)
It wasn’t easy, but the top seed and 2016 champ here pulls through in set two in what was a crash-course back on the clay for the first time this season. Stephens is the first player in the third round, meaning she’ll have a break from play on Wednesday. 

Champagne and Tracy Austin? YES PLEASE

Sloane survives first-set scare
She was down 2-5, but top seed Stephens wins five of the final six games of the opener vs. Sorribes Tormo to take it, 7-6(4). A backhand winner up the line would seal the deal in 67 minutes. She’s a set away from the third round… 

It’s almost trivia time!
This year, in partnership with SunTrust and The Q app, the Volvo Car Open is part of a first-of-its-kind tennis trivia game, live on The Q app. Tonight it starts at 6pm and features the one and only Madison Keys! Want to play? Want to win up to $500?! Here’s the link.

Sakkari wins the first set, 7-5
There was an early lead – and set point – for Sakkari, but she eventually prevails 7-5 over lucky loser Perrin on Club Court.

In the meantime, it’s been announced that the Madison Brengle-Danielle Collins match scheduled for Stadium will move to Club Court, following the Sakkari match.

On Court 4, top doubles seeds Nicole Melichar and Kveta Peschke have a set in hand, 6-1 vs. Johanna Larsson and Ajla Tomljanovic.

4:29pm – Petra Martic def. Amanda Anisimova 6-4 2-6 6-1
That’s a really strong win for Martic, the No. 16, who dodged a bullet against the 17 year old from New Jersey who hits a really big ball. Martic will next meet Mandy Minella, who won Monday over Schmiedlova.

On Club Court, Sakkari leads Perrin 5-3 and Frech has turned things around vs. Buzarnescu, the qualifier leading 4-2 in the decider. 

Our players spending time in the community

All thing Volvo Car Open on the app

Anisimova, Kanepi capture respective sets
It’s a third-set tussle now for Anisimova and Martic, the American winning the second 6-2. Kaia Kanepi had several set points earlier in the first, but closes it 7-6(4) over Kudermetova on Club Court.

Mihaela Buzarnescu races to a 5-1 lead on Magdalena Frech on Court 3, while on Court 4 it’s a 6-2 first for Raquel Atawo and Katarina Srebotnik over Belinda Bencic and Kristyna Pliskova.

3:20pm First set to Martic
While it’s the 17-year-old American Amanda Anisimova that leads their head-to-head 1-0, it’s the seed Petra Martic that steals set one inside Volvo Car Stadium, 6-4.

Meanwhile, Lauren Davis has won on Court 3, 6-4 0-6 6-2 against Bonaventure. Aoyama/Marozva have defeated Kenin/Stollar 6-4 6-3 on Court 4. 

Petko takes Tom’s advice…




Petkovic def. Lepchenko 6-0 6-4
It’s a win for former champ here Andrea Petkovic, who – after a quick first set – takes care of things in straights against the American Lepchenko. It’s actually Petko’s first win in three tries against Varvara, who beat her here last year in round one.

“Everything that wasn’t a storm was OK for me today,” a chipper Petko told reporters. “I think at one point it was snowing,” she jokes. “Boy, it was cold.”

Petko – as usual – was in a chatty mood, and told the press that she is reading Tom Brady’s book to pick up health tips for how to elongate her career. And she’s drinking more water than ever, thanks to the multiple-Super Bowl winning quarterback.

Also: Kozlova has beaten Kr. Pliskova on Club Court, 7-5 6-4.

Kiki Bertens in her own words
Bertens, pictured above, spoke exclusively to us before the tournament to give her insight as to how she’s made her way into the top 10 and established herself as a player to beat. Did it all start here last year with her run to the Charleston title?

Read Kiki’s essay here.

Look, we’re famous! 




1:58pm – Petkovic wins first set, 6-0
We have play underway now across four courts, with Petko blazing through the first 6-0 over Lepchenko. On Club Court, Kozlova served for it twice and gets the set on the second asking, 7-5 in 51 minutes. 

On Court 3, American Lauren Davis is meeting Ysaline Bonaventure, well Court 4 features doubles, Sonya Kenin and Fanny Stollar taking on Shuko Aoyama and Lidziya Marozava.

1:01pm – We have tennis!
Ready? Play. That’s been uttered on both Volvo Car Stadium and the Althea Gibson Club Court. On the former, it’s former champ Petkovic meeting American Varvara Lepchenko in a re-match from the first round here last season.

On Club Court, it’s qualifier Kateryna Kozlova taking on Kristyna Pliskova, who made the quarters here last season, upsetting Petra Kvitova en route. If you’re in the U.S., it’s all live on Tennis Channel.

11:03am – I see sun! Repeat, I see sun!

The sun has come out on Daniel Island – well, and some clouds are still hanging around – but we look to be headed towards that hopeful 1pm start time. Let’s hope it holds…

In the meantime, *A LOT* went down yesterday at the Family Circle Tennis Center. We have a Facebook album with other 100 pics to document it all!

10:11am – But let’s talk about the day to come
Yes, it’s raining, but let’s talk about all the great tennis to come today. We have a full Tennis Tuesday preview here, in a day which features former champs Andrea Petkovic and Sloane Stephens, defending champ Kiki Bertens, and American hopes Danielle Collins and Emma Navarro, among others.

Navarro, a Mount Pleasant native, is looking to make a splash (rain pun! Sorry… ) tonight in the evening session vs. Laura Siegemund. The 17 year old didn’t get here without warrant: She won a wild card through the U.S. clay court nationals last summer, and just last weekend won the prestigious Easter Bowl junior event in Southern California.

There’s 15 matches scheduled in total, including four must-see doubles matches for you doubles players (and lovers!). 

8:40am – No play before 1pm
OK let’s just get to the truth: No play before 1pm local time. There is a big storm moving through the area and it’s currently showering us with a nice bit of rain. But it appears to dissipate late-morning and then – we hope – we’ll have tennis! Follow our social media accounts for breaking updates.

What happened on Day 1… in case you forgot
Good morning! We’ll get to the weather in a minute, but first, Monday… Monday! It was a really great day of tennis, including an emotional win for home hope Shelby Rogers, business-forward wins for Jelena Ostapenko and Belinda Bencic and a nice ‘W’ for Sonya Kenin, the young American, over former champ Sabine Lisicki. Here’s the Day 1 wrap vid for you to catch up with:

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