Peng sent packing in Shenzhen
Print Edition
FORMER world No. 2 Vera Zvonareva, who has plummeted to 250 in the rankings, took her first steps in a 2015 comeback attempt by ousting home favorite and No. 3 seed Peng Shuai at the Shenzhen Open yesterday.
The 30-year-old was a finalist at both Wimbledon and the US Open in 2010 but has since been dogged by injury and illness.
Peng, China’s top women’s player following the retirement of Li Na last year, took the first set in their first round match but the Russian ground out the last two to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in two hours and 24 minutes.
Top seed and world No. 3 Simona Halep survived a scare against Annika Beck of Germany.
The world No. 55 broke Halep to take a 3-2 lead in the deciding set, but the Romanian took the next four games to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Czech second seed and world No. 4 Petra Kvitova took an hour to sweep aside home wildcard Duan Yingying 6-3, 6-1.
In Perth, Australia, lethargic and jetlagged, Serena Williams decided a coffee might perk her up after losing her first set 0-6 at the Hopman Cup.
It did the trick. Williams recovered to beat Flavia Pennetta 0-6, 6-3, 6-0 on a sweltering day, John Isner followed up with a 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (4) win over Fabio Fognini and the American pair combined to win the doubles for a 3-0 win over Italy in Group A yesterday in the international mixed team competition.
The top-ranked Williams laughed loudly as she checked with the chair umpire and then with the tournament referee about the coffee before a ball girl served her the brew on court.
It was raining on the other side of the country in Brisbane, where American teenager Madison Keys had a 7-5, 6-2 first-round win over fourth-seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.
Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka wasted two match points in the second set before Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic rallied to win 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4 in a night match.
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