Garbine Muguruza continues her hot streak of wins in Melbourne after a 6-4 6-0 win over Margarita Gasparyan, while Sofia Kenin edged past Madison Inglis 7-5 6-4.
The Spaniard continued her good form in the Australian city as she toughed out a win over Gasparyan.
This was Muguruza’s 11th win in Melbourne in her last 13 matches including last year’s run to the Australian Open final.
However the world number 14 didn’t have it all her own way as she faced an inconsistent and streaky Margarita Gasparyan.
Despite gaining the early break, Muguruza was allowing her Russian opponent to dictate some of the points with her devastating one-handed backhand.
Gasparyan managed to get the break back for 3-3 before Muguruza bounced right back to break for a 4-3 lead.
Although the Russian had her moments, the world number 127 couldn’t bring it all together as Muguruza successfully served for the opening set.
In the second set, Muguruza’s pace, power, accuracy and serve were too much for the Russian as she had simply too much tactical nuance for her opponent.
Only three points lost on serve in the second set as Muguruza eventually cruised to a straight sets victory.
Next for Muguruza will be Liudmila Samsonova or Paula Badosa.
Meanwhile the player that Muguruza lost to in last year’s final, Sofia Kenin, was in action in a bid to defend her Australian Open crown.
The American’s first opponent was Madison Inglis, who despite her ranking of 133 in the world remained unfazed on the big stage of Rod Laver Arena.
An early 3-1 lead for the Australian settled her into the match but it also re-focused Kenin who broke straight away and then again in the eleventh game to take the opening set 7-5.
Inglis snuffed out Kenin’s early break in the second set but the world number four broke straight back and survived her first challenge as defending grand slam champion.
Next for Kenin is Anastasija Sevastova or grand-slam giant killer Kaia Kanepi.
