BEIJING, 20 September 2007 — Peng Shuai ended the China Open dream of Martina Hingis, bundling the fifth seed out 7-5, 6-1 yesterday to keep local hopes alive at the quarterfinal stage.
Switzerland’s Hingis, making her debut in the tournament this year, lost in 59 minutes. The former world No. 1 did not earn a break point and lost her own serve on three successive occasions from the final game of the opening set.
Hingis’ stutters allowed the 49th-ranked Peng to take control and she finished off the job to avenge a US Open loss to Hingis last year.
The Swiss, who lifted her only title of the year in Tokyo, has now gone eight tournaments without reaching a quarterfinal and stands 24-13 this season.
Peng, the only remaining Chinese player in the field, will next play 2006 finalist and third seed Amelie Mauresmo.
French player Mauresmo returned from a long layoff to post a storming 6-2, 6-2 defeat of Pole Raluca Olaru, burying bitter memories of two lost months.
The double Grand Slam winner in 2006, who underwent emergency appendix surgery in February and has since played patchily as she struggles to recover, reached the quarterfinals of an event for the first time since June.
“It wasn’t the best tennis I’ve ever played,” said Mauresmo. “But since I’ve had a couple of months off, I’m just glad to come up a winner today.” Mauresmo is competing for the first time since the Fed Cup in July, after which she hung up her rackets and skipped the US Open, short on both form and motivation.
The French former No. 1 is all but writing off this season, choosing instead to concentrate on getting into shape for 2008.
An abdominal muscle injury forced titleholder Svetlana Kuznetsova to withdraw before the start of her opening match.
The strain of playing a US Open final two weekends ago followed by her feat in leading Russia to the Fed Cup trophy just days ago in Moscow proved to be too much for the top seed.
Her place was taken by Argentine Maria Emilia Salerni, who beat American Abigail Spears 6-2, 7-5.
Kuznetsova said that her body gave out under the intense pressure of the past few weeks. “I came here with a strain, but it’s getting worse. I’ve had treatment but I’m unable to serve.” Hers was the second injury pullout here after US Open winner and world No. 1 Justine Henin withdrew last week with a bronchial infection.
Lindsay Davenport, surprise winner of last week’s Bali event as she plays for the first time in a year following “retirement” and the birth of her child in June, sideswiped fellow American Julie Ditty 6-0, 6-2.
“I felt tired after flying here from Bali, so I’m happy that the first match was easy,” said Davenport.
Davenport halted her career a year ago after losing in Beijing, saying it was time to concentrate on starting a family.
But with that job completed three months ago with the birth of Jagger, the 31-year-old felt the tug of tennis and is testing the waters in Asia. Should she like what she finds, the Californian has hinted that she could make a full-time return to the WTA tour starting in January in Australia.
Dulko, Tu, Vesnina Advance to
Second Round at Slovenia Open
In Portoroz, Slovenia, seventh-seeded Gisela Dulko of Argentina advanced to the second round of the Slovenia Open yesterday, beating Emmanuele Gagliardi of Switzerland 6-3, 6-4. Dulko, who won her first tournament in Budapest, Hungary, this year, will next face Elena Vesnina of Russia. Vesnina defeated 16-year-old qualifier Polona Hercog of Slovenia 6-3, 6-7, 6-4.
Meilen Tu of the United States beat Jelena Kostanic Tosic of Croatia 6-4, 7-6 and will face qualifier Ana Vrljic of Croatia in the second round later.
Hantuchova Advances in India
In Kolkata, India, Slovak second seed Daniela Hantuchova moved into the second round of the WTA Sunfeast Open yesterday with a 6-2, 6-1 win against Poland’s Maria Domachowska.
Hantuchova’s powerful serve and trademark double-handed backhand gave the Polish qualifier little chance in the one-sided encounter that lasted barely an hour.
Also making it to the second round were England’s Anne Keothavong and Maria Koryttseva of Ukraine. Keothavong defeated Italian Sara Errani 6-4, 6-4 while Koryttseva beat Australian Monique Adamczak 6-3, 6-3. Eighth seed Chan Yung-jan of Taiwan and Tzipora Obziler of Israel progressed to the quarterfinals of this Tier-III event.
Obziler, who upset ninth seed Russian Yaroslava Shvedova on Tuesday, took time to get into the groove before winning 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 against Australian Casey Dellacqua.
Chan made short work of Jarmila Gajdosova from Slovakia, winning 6-1, 6-2.
In a late-night match Tuesday, India’s Sunitha Rao, ranked 211, overcame a scare at the hands of lucky loser Sandy Gumulya of Indonesia before making it to the second round with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 win.
