By Chris Oddo | Wednesday January 18, 2017
There has been a lot of pre-tournament buzz about No.5-seeded Karolina Pliskova and No.9-seeded Johanna Konta and though neither wants any part of the annual media-influenced ritual of being named a favorite to win, both have lived up to the growing hype thus far in Melbourne.
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Pliskova, a finalist at last year’s U.S. Open and playing at her career-high ranking of No.5 in the world, has waltzed through her first two rounds, dropping just four games and needing just one hour and 59 minutes to complete both matches.
It took Pliskova an inordinate amount of time to have her first Grand Slam breakthrough, but since she cleared that hurdle in New York last year she truly seems like a more confident player.
She won the Brisbane title earlier in the season and improved to 7-0 on the season with today’s victory.
Pliskova admits that she hasn’t faced the toughest competition thus far and know she’ll need to be ready for when the competition steps up. . She walloped world No. 106 Sara Sorribes Tormo on Day 2, and today she made short work of World No.189 Anna Blinkova.
“I think the opponents were not—I don't want to say "that good," but obviously I was better, so... Yeah, definitely better match today than the first round. Still happy to be there in just an hour.”
Next up for Pliskova is Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, a player that is streaky but lethal when she is in the groove.
“I have played her in Cincinnati in the first round, so I know a little bit about her,” Pliskova said. “It's third round, so she won two matches, as well. I'm expecting a tough match, but hopefully I can still improve my level and play it a bit better. Hopefully it's going to be enough.”
Konta faced a tougher challenge on Day 4, but was on point from start to finish in taking out Naomi Osaka, 6-4, 6-2. Konta’s victory sets up a third-round encounter with Caroline Wozniacki.
Wozniacki thumped Donna Vekic to reach the third round at Melbourne for the first time since 2014.
Konta and Wozniacki have never met at the tour-level before.
The British No.1, a pragmatic and analytical individual, will take nothing for granted against the former World No.1. “It will be an incredibly tough one,” she said. “Every round so far has been—I think my first round and also today, they were incredibly competent opponents. I really—yeah, I think rarely do we get any easy rounds. That's a given.”