By Chris Oddo | Monday January 8, 2018
Agnieszka Radwanska went the whole 2017 season without recording a single Top 10 win. This year she has needed only nine days to record her first, after taking out defending champion Johanna Konta in a final of last year’s Sydney final, 6-3, 7-5.
What a difference a year makes?
That final would be the only one in an uncharacteristic year for the former World No.2, and she would eventually drop all the way down to her current ranking of 28, but Radwanska hopes that she’s put her worst tennis behind her.
"Last year didn't end up the way I wanted, so I had to start from the beginning. I'm not thinking about the past and how this year will be much better," she said.
Radwanska improves to 3-1 lifetime against Konta with her victory. The Pole converted six of 12 break points on the afternoon and won 23 of 32 second-serve points to keep Konta at bay over the course of the one hour and 49-minute encounter.
Radwanska will move on to face American CiCi Bellis in round two.
Dominika Cibulkova also advanced on Tuesday, defeating Elena Vesnina, 6-4, 6-4, while Barbora Strycova (d. Makarova) and Samantha Stosur (d. Witthoeft) also reached round two.