ADELAIDE, Jan 6, (V7N) – World No. 9 Daria Kasatkina made an impressive start to her 2025 season at the Adelaide International, cruising past Australia’s Olivia Gadecki 6-2, 6-3 to reach the second round. However, it was another disappointing outing for Croatia’s Donna Vekic, who suffered her third consecutive defeat this year.

Kasatkina, who has been a finalist at the Adelaide event twice in the past, broke Gadecki's serve five times in a dominant display. The 27-year-old Russian, fresh off a stellar 2024 season with six WTA finals and two titles, looked at ease on the Memorial Drive center court.

"Adelaide is probably the tournament I've played most in my career," Kasatkina said. "It's the start of the season, and I'm happy to be back. My tactic today was to rely on my legs, win as many points as possible, and play aggressively when I got the chance."

She will next face Emerson Jones, the promising Australian wildcard and junior runner-up at last year's Australian Open and Wimbledon. Jones delivered an impressive 6-4, 6-0 victory over China’s Wang Xinyu to book her spot in the second round.

Vekic's Struggles Continue

Meanwhile, world No. 19 Donna Vekic's preparation for the Australian Open took another hit as she fell 6-2, 6-3 to Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva. This marks Vekic's third straight loss of the season after her disappointing United Cup campaign in Perth.

Putintseva, known for her grit and consistency, was elated with her performance. "I played great today, staying focused all the way through," she said. "We know each other's games very well, so there were no secrets out there."

Putintseva will next face either American fourth seed Danielle Collins or Tunisian wildcard Ons Jabeur, a three-time Grand Slam finalist, in what promises to be a high-stakes clash.

In another notable match, Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova overcame 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez in a tightly contested three-setter, winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

The Adelaide International serves as a key warm-up event for the Australian Open, which kicks off in Melbourne on Sunday, with the world’s top players vying for the first Grand Slam title of the year.

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