Top 2018 Australian Open Moments in Women’s Draw

In the recently concluded Australian Open, Caroline Wozniacki defeated Simona Halep to win her maiden Australian Open grand slam. However, there were several poignant moments that defined this year’s tournament. The Women’s draw in particular witnessed several upsets. Today, we look at some of the top Australian Open moments in the 2018 edition.

Australian Open moments

It’s All Up in the Air

With no Serena Williams or Victoria Azarenka, this was slated to be the most unpredictable Australian Open. At least 20 different women were all within a shout of claiming the title. With the likes of Sloane Stephens and other youngsters on a charge, things would be interesting. In the end, it went down to a contest between Caroline Wozniacki and Simona Halep.

Just 2 Current Players had won the Australian Open

Maria Sharapova and Angelique Kerber were the only 2 players in the draw that had won the Australian Open before. The Russian player won the Grand Slam in 2008 and Kerber triumphed eight years later. There was a possibility of the two meeting in the third round and they did so. In the end, it was Kerber who came out on top in that matchup. In the end, Kerber lost to Simona Halep in the Semifinal.

High-Profile 1st Round

Venus Williams had a tough opening round at the 2018 Australian Open. She was pitted against Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic. Other difficult draws included Dominika Cibulkova and Kaia Kanepi, Sam Stosur and Monica Puig and Jelena Ostapenko and Francesca Schiavone. Williams, Stosur and Cibulkova all lost to their respective opponents. Schiavone’s return to the WTA circuit was short-lived as Ostapenko won in straight sets. Even Andrea Petkovic managed to stun Petra Kvitova.

Marta Kostyuk

The 15-year old Ukrainian had already made headlines when she qualified for the main draw of the Australian Open. She would continue to dominate headlines until the third round. She defeated Shuai Peng and local player Olivia Rogowska before losing to compatriot Elina Svitolina. But the 15-year old has certainly left her mark.

A Tournament of Firsts

With the women’s game playing the unpredictable cards, it was anybody’s game. As mentioned earlier, Sharapova and Kerber were the only players who had won the tournament before. However, once the 2 were out of contention, the stage was set for a maiden grand slam title for any of the 3 remaining players, namely Halep, Wozniacki and Elise Mertens.