MATCH POINTS
18-year-old Dayana Yastremska and 20-year-old Vera Lapko first met in Australia three years ago, in the semifinals of the Grade 1 junior event in Traralgon. Lapko won that match 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 - but in their subsequent pro meetings Yastremska has had the edge 3-1, including their only WTA-level encounter in Brisbane qualifying last year 6-2, 6-4.
No.8 seed Alison Van Uytvanck and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova split four meetings in 2015, with the Slovak winning in Rio de Janeiro and Katowice and the Belgian gaining revenge at Roland Garros and Beijing. All of those matches were straight-set affairs, but their fifth and most recent bout was their most dramatic yet: in the second round of Linz three months ago, Van Uytvanck saved three match points to win 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(5).
No.6 seed Alizé Cornet is all square with compatriot Pauline Parmentier 2-2, with Parmentier winning the pair's most recent tilt 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-2 in the second round of Roland Garros last year. The older Frenchwoman also won their only previous hard court encounter 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of Tokyo in 2012.
For the second week in a row, Sofia Kenin has upset a seed in the first round of a tournament. Last week, the American fell to Viktoria Kuzmova after stunning Petra Martic in Auckland; today, she will aim to back up her defeat of No.1 seed Caroline Garcia against Ons Jabeur, against whom she is 1-1. Both of their previous meetings took place in American green clay ITF events, with Kenin winning 6-4, 6-1 in the second round of Wesley Chapel in 2016 and Jabeur avenging that result 6-3, 6-1 in the second round of Indian Harbour Beach in 2017.
Three players made their WTA main draw debuts in Hobart this week: qualifiers Greet Minnen and Alison Bai, and wildcard Zoe Hives. Belgian World No.348 Minnen and Australian World No.220 Hives both sprung first-round upsets over Kateryna Kozlova and Johanna Larsson respectively and are still alive.
2016 winner Alizé Cornet is the only former Hobart champion remaining in the draw after the first-round exits of 2012 titlist Mona Barthel and 2015 winner Heather Watson.
ORDER OF PLAY
CENTRE COURT (starts 12 noon)
Viktoria KUZMOVA (SVK) vs Kirsten FLIPKENS (BEL) [7]
[WC] Zoe HIVES (AUS) vs Belinda BENCIC (SUI)
Sofia KENIN (USA) vs Ons JABEUR (TUN)
Not before 6pm
[Q] Magda LINETTE (POL) vs [Q] Greet MINNEN (BEL)
Pauline PARMENTIER (FRA) vs Alizé CORNET (FRA) [6]
WEST COURT (starts 11am)
Alison VAN UYTVANCK (BEL) [8] vs Anna Karolina SCHMIEDLOVA (SVK)
Vera LAPKO (BLR) vs Dayana YASTREMSKA (UKR)
Irina-Camelia BEGU (ROU) vs [Q] Anna BLINKOVA (RUS)
Monica NICULESCU (ROU) / YANG Zhaoxuan (CHN) [3] vs Raluca OLARU (ROU) / Galina VOSKOBOEVA (KAZ)
Darija JURAK (CRO) / Desirae KRAWCZYK (USA) vs Kirsten FLIPKENS (BEL) / Johanna LARSSON (SWE) [4]
Anastasia POTAPOVA (RUS) / Dayana YASTREMSKA (UKR) vs Irina-Camelia BEGU (ROU) / Mihaela BUZARNESCU (ROU) [2]
