Monday 16 / December / 2024
Rio de Janeiro: Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova knocked out former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the second round of the Rio Olympics on Monday, in another poorly attended tennis match on centre court.
Twice Wimbledon champion Kvitova overpowered Wozniacki 6-2, 6-4 to progress to the third round, where she will face either Russia's Ekaterina Makarova or Slovakia's Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
"It was a tough draw for me. Petra played well today, really played aggressively and got me on my heels a little bit," said Wozniacki, ranked 53 in the world after an injury-ravaged season.
Wozniacki's participation had been in doubt as injury prevented her from fulfilling the minimum number of Davis and Fed Cup appearances required in a four-year Olympic cycle to qualify for the Games.
But she made it to Rio, where she was Denmark's flagbearer in the opening ceremony.
Germany's Angelique Kerber, ranked second in the world, faced stubborn resistance from Canada's Eugenie Bouchard but won 6-4, 6-2.
United States' Madison Keys, seeded seventh in the tournament, also progressed to the third round after a nail-biting 7-5, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5) win against France's Kristina Mladenovic on court one.
Monday's matches, like most of the other contests in the first three days of the tennis tournament, were played in stadiums that were more than half empty.
Olympics organisers say about 82 percent of all Olympic tickets have been sold out, but for tennis, which boasts some of the world's most recognisable sports stars, attendance has been far below that level.
