Home
News
In Focus
Business
Metro
Nation
World
Sports
Feature
Opinion
View more »Opinion Columns
Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
Restaurants get off to a quick start thanks to game-changing policies
High service charges on event ticket refunds call for further regulation
Sunday
- Subscribe
Kuznetsova overcomes Zheng
Source: Agencies |
August 26, 2009, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
TOP-SEEDED Svetlana Kuznetsova needed three sets on Monday to overcome China's Zheng Jie 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-4 in the first round of the Pilot Pen tournament in New Haven, Connecticut, the final warmup before the US Open.
The French Open champion, who received a wildcard entry into this tournament last week, won the first set easily and appeared to be cruising in the second, up 4-2 before Zheng rallied.
Using a strong backhand, Zheng won the next three games, and eventually took the set in a 7-5 tiebreaker.
"I was just very frustrated I did not close it," Kuznetsova said.
Zheng broke Kuznetsova in the third game of the final set and went up 3-1, before the Russian staged a comeback of her own. She won the next three games, and took the match on Zheng's serve when a backhand went long.
"I just want to play matches and to get into match shape," Kuznetsova said. "Physically, I feel good, and I want just to get some matches (before the Open)."
Amelie Mauresmo overcame some sloppy serving to beat Ai Sugiyama of Japan 6-4, 6-1 in her first-round match.
Mauresmo, the tournament's eighth seed, was playing just her second match since Wimbledon after losing in the first round at the Rogers Cup in Toronto last week to Francesca Schiavone of Italy.
Mauresmo looked rusty in the opening set with six double faults, and was broken three times. But the Frenchwoman broke Sugiyama four times in that set, and twice more in the second set to improve her career record against the Japanese veteran to 11-0.
"The game is not really in place yet," Mauresmo said. "I needed this first set to really get into the rhythm and finally play a much better game and at a better level in the second set."
It took fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland three sets to beat Italy's Roberta Vinci 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (5).
In the men's, former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus lost his first-round match to qualifier Frederico Gil of Portugal in straight sets 4-6, 3-6.
Baghdatis, who has struggled recently, dropping to 109 in the world rankings, was given a wildcard entry into the tournament. He said he will skip the US Open and try to regroup.
"I'll go back home (to Cyprus), take two days off and start working again," he said. "I'll forget this match and go on."
Sixth seed Sam Querrey led a trio of American men who advanced on Monday. Querrey outlasted Marc Gicquel of France 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-3 in the final match of the night, and the first of the second round.
Earlier, Kevin Kim beat Teimuraz Gabashvili of Russia 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, and Robert Kendrick ousted Frederik Nielsen of Denmark 6-3, 7-5. Kendrick will face top-seed Nikolay Davydenko of Russia in the second round.
The French Open champion, who received a wildcard entry into this tournament last week, won the first set easily and appeared to be cruising in the second, up 4-2 before Zheng rallied.
Using a strong backhand, Zheng won the next three games, and eventually took the set in a 7-5 tiebreaker.
"I was just very frustrated I did not close it," Kuznetsova said.
Zheng broke Kuznetsova in the third game of the final set and went up 3-1, before the Russian staged a comeback of her own. She won the next three games, and took the match on Zheng's serve when a backhand went long.
"I just want to play matches and to get into match shape," Kuznetsova said. "Physically, I feel good, and I want just to get some matches (before the Open)."
Amelie Mauresmo overcame some sloppy serving to beat Ai Sugiyama of Japan 6-4, 6-1 in her first-round match.
Mauresmo, the tournament's eighth seed, was playing just her second match since Wimbledon after losing in the first round at the Rogers Cup in Toronto last week to Francesca Schiavone of Italy.
Mauresmo looked rusty in the opening set with six double faults, and was broken three times. But the Frenchwoman broke Sugiyama four times in that set, and twice more in the second set to improve her career record against the Japanese veteran to 11-0.
"The game is not really in place yet," Mauresmo said. "I needed this first set to really get into the rhythm and finally play a much better game and at a better level in the second set."
It took fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland three sets to beat Italy's Roberta Vinci 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (5).
In the men's, former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus lost his first-round match to qualifier Frederico Gil of Portugal in straight sets 4-6, 3-6.
Baghdatis, who has struggled recently, dropping to 109 in the world rankings, was given a wildcard entry into the tournament. He said he will skip the US Open and try to regroup.
"I'll go back home (to Cyprus), take two days off and start working again," he said. "I'll forget this match and go on."
Sixth seed Sam Querrey led a trio of American men who advanced on Monday. Querrey outlasted Marc Gicquel of France 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-3 in the final match of the night, and the first of the second round.
Earlier, Kevin Kim beat Teimuraz Gabashvili of Russia 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, and Robert Kendrick ousted Frederik Nielsen of Denmark 6-3, 7-5. Kendrick will face top-seed Nikolay Davydenko of Russia in the second round.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
