Australian Open: Irina Begu qualifies to second round, Niculescu, Buzarnescu and Copil – out

Romanian tennis player Irina Begu has qualified in the second round of the Australian Open, after defeating Ekaterina Makarova, 31^st seeded, 3-6, 6-4, 8-6.

Irina Begu (27, 40th WTA) won in three-hour and a one-minute. Each player had 2 aces and 5 double mistakes, Makarova had more winners (30-22), but has also committed more unforced errors.

Begu leads now 2-1 in direct matches against Makarova (29, 33rd WTA).

Begu has secured a cheque of AUD 80,000 and 70 WTA points. In the second round, Begu will face Croatian Petra Martic.

Monica Niculescu (30, 85th WTA) was defeated by Germany’s Mona Barthel (27, 52nd WTA) 6-4, 7-5 in the first round. Barthel won an hour and 49 minutes.

Niculescu will receive a cheque of AUD 50,000 and 10 WTA points.

Also on Monday Mihaela Buzărnescu was defeated by Caroline Wozniacki, the second favourite, 6-2, 6-3.

Simona Halep, the main favourite, will face Destiny Aiava (Australia) whereas Sorana Cistea, will play against Kazina Zarina Dias and Ana Bogdan will face Kristina Mladenovic (France).

In the men’s singles, Romanian tennis player Marius Copil was defeated by Frenchman Gilles Simon 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 on Monday. Marius Copil will also play in the doubles event in pair with Serbian Viktor Troicki and will meet in the first round Rajeev Ram (US)/Divij Sharan (India), the 16th seeded.