Australian Open: Donna Vekic advances into the 3rd round

Donna Vekic (Photo credit: Mario Cuziz/HTS)

MELBOURNE, 23 January 2020 – Croatia’s no.2 female tennis player, Donna Vekic, has continued her good start to the 2020 Australian Open in Melbourne. 

Vekic, who is the tournament’s 19th seed, knocked out former world no.1 and 5-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova in straight sets in the first round and today she won her second-round match against France’s Alize Cornet 6-4, 6-2. 

The Osijek-born 23-year-old broke Cornet early in the first set to race to a 3-1 lead. She would then hold her serve for the remainder of the set to win it 6-4. 

Vekic broke immediately in the second set with a backhand winner and took an early lead 2-0 when she held her serve after Cornet made an unforced error.

Vekic had three break points at 4-2 up when she lead 40-0, but Cornet fought back to 40-40 a number of times before the Croatian finally got the break. She would hold serve in the next game to take the match in just over 90 minutes.

Finish line in 👀@donnavekic consolidates the break to take a 3-1 lead over Cornet in the second.

Vekic has hit 30 winners to Cornet’s 10!#AusOpen | #AO2020 pic.twitter.com/R663yA8vai

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 23, 2020

Vekic will play either veteran Carla Suarez Navarro from Spain or Iga Swiatek from Poland in the third round.  

Take a bow, @DonnaVekic!

The Croat hits Cornet off the court 6-4 6-2 in a dominant display.

She’ll play the winner of Swiatek/ Suárez Navarro in round 3.#AusOpen | #AO2020 pic.twitter.com/VFaEm0BAJ7

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 23, 2020