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Zheng sent packing in another upset
Source: Agencies |
February 26, 2010, Friday
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Print Edition
CHANG Kai-chen of Chinese Taipei crushed China's 20th-ranked and third-seeded Zheng Jie 6-2, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals of the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
The 19-year-old played fearlessly against an opponent ranked 72 places above her and completed a disastrous week for Chinese players after second-seeded Li Na was knocked out by Germany's Tatjana Malek on Monday. Both Zheng and Li had reached the semifinals of the Australian Open last month.
Chang took only 75 minutes to set up a quarterfinal date with sixth seed Sybille Bammer of Austria, who earlier trounced Uzbekistan's Akgul Amanmuradova 6-3, 6-0.
Elsewhere, Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa reached her first WTA quarterfinal after defeating Malek 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
The 26-year-old top-ranked South African was given a scare before eventually prevailing in two hours and 27 minutes.
The first set belonged to the 22-year-old German, who broke her elder opponent twice but Scheepers fought back in the second set. The third set was a battle as the heat and humidity started to take its toll on both players. Scheepers, who is based in Houston, Texas, held out to clinch a quarterfinal date with Ayumi Morita of Japan.
In other results, seventh-seeded Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia defeated wildcard entry Noppawan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand 6-4, 7-5 to reach the last eight. She will next face top-seeded Elena Dementieva.
In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Andy Murray's first tournament since reaching the Australian Open final was ended in the second round of the Dubai Championships by Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 6-7 (3), 6-4, 4-6 on Wednesday.
Tipsarevic evened his record at 3-3 against Murray, who's never had an easy time with the Serb. Tipsarevic rated this latest win highly.
"One of the biggest wins, surely," he said. "For me, Murray is a contestant to be No. 1 at the end of the season. He played unbelievable tennis at the Australian Open. He was one of the favorites to win the tournament here, for sure."
Murray, who converted only three of 12 break chances, begged to differ. "It is always disappointing to lose, but I did not have much expectation from the tournament."
By the end of the round, only three seeds made the last eight after No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France succumbed to Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic 5-7, 3-6.
Straight-set wins
In Acapulco, Mexico, top-seeded Fernando Verdasco and Venus Williams both reached the quarterfinals of the Mexican Open with straight-set wins on Wednesday.
Spain's Verdasco beat Lukasz Kubot of Poland 6-4, 6-3 while Williams was a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Estonia's Kaia Kanepi.
The second-seeded players in both the men's and women's draw also advanced. Fernando Gonzalez of Chile defeated Romanian Victor Hanescu 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-1, and Agnes Szavay of Hungary eased past Czech Renata Voracova 7-5, 6-1.
Defending champion Williams led 4-0 in the first set, but lost four straight games against the 96th-ranked Kanepi.
"I expect every match to be challenging, especially on this surface," the American said. "At the beginning I had a lead but let it go and from there it was very competitive."
Williams won a WTA tournament over the weekend in Dubai and is playing her first tournament this season on clay, her weakest surface.
Verdasco will face seventh-seeded Juan Monaco of Argentina, who defeated compatriot Juan Ignacio Chela 6-4, 7-6 (4) while Gonzalez will next be up against Eduardo Schwank of Argentina, who beat Simon Greul of Germany 7-6 (4), 6-3.
No. 3 David Ferrer of Spain also advanced, beating Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil 6-4, 6-1. And another Spaniard, the in-form No. 4 Juan Carlos Ferrero, also reached the quarters, beating Igor Andreev of Russia 6-4, 6-3.
Two-time defending champion Nicolas Almagro of Spain made it to the last eight by edging Richard Gasquet of France 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7).
The 19-year-old played fearlessly against an opponent ranked 72 places above her and completed a disastrous week for Chinese players after second-seeded Li Na was knocked out by Germany's Tatjana Malek on Monday. Both Zheng and Li had reached the semifinals of the Australian Open last month.
Chang took only 75 minutes to set up a quarterfinal date with sixth seed Sybille Bammer of Austria, who earlier trounced Uzbekistan's Akgul Amanmuradova 6-3, 6-0.
Elsewhere, Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa reached her first WTA quarterfinal after defeating Malek 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
The 26-year-old top-ranked South African was given a scare before eventually prevailing in two hours and 27 minutes.
The first set belonged to the 22-year-old German, who broke her elder opponent twice but Scheepers fought back in the second set. The third set was a battle as the heat and humidity started to take its toll on both players. Scheepers, who is based in Houston, Texas, held out to clinch a quarterfinal date with Ayumi Morita of Japan.
In other results, seventh-seeded Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia defeated wildcard entry Noppawan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand 6-4, 7-5 to reach the last eight. She will next face top-seeded Elena Dementieva.
In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Andy Murray's first tournament since reaching the Australian Open final was ended in the second round of the Dubai Championships by Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 6-7 (3), 6-4, 4-6 on Wednesday.
Tipsarevic evened his record at 3-3 against Murray, who's never had an easy time with the Serb. Tipsarevic rated this latest win highly.
"One of the biggest wins, surely," he said. "For me, Murray is a contestant to be No. 1 at the end of the season. He played unbelievable tennis at the Australian Open. He was one of the favorites to win the tournament here, for sure."
Murray, who converted only three of 12 break chances, begged to differ. "It is always disappointing to lose, but I did not have much expectation from the tournament."
By the end of the round, only three seeds made the last eight after No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France succumbed to Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic 5-7, 3-6.
Straight-set wins
In Acapulco, Mexico, top-seeded Fernando Verdasco and Venus Williams both reached the quarterfinals of the Mexican Open with straight-set wins on Wednesday.
Spain's Verdasco beat Lukasz Kubot of Poland 6-4, 6-3 while Williams was a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Estonia's Kaia Kanepi.
The second-seeded players in both the men's and women's draw also advanced. Fernando Gonzalez of Chile defeated Romanian Victor Hanescu 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-1, and Agnes Szavay of Hungary eased past Czech Renata Voracova 7-5, 6-1.
Defending champion Williams led 4-0 in the first set, but lost four straight games against the 96th-ranked Kanepi.
"I expect every match to be challenging, especially on this surface," the American said. "At the beginning I had a lead but let it go and from there it was very competitive."
Williams won a WTA tournament over the weekend in Dubai and is playing her first tournament this season on clay, her weakest surface.
Verdasco will face seventh-seeded Juan Monaco of Argentina, who defeated compatriot Juan Ignacio Chela 6-4, 7-6 (4) while Gonzalez will next be up against Eduardo Schwank of Argentina, who beat Simon Greul of Germany 7-6 (4), 6-3.
No. 3 David Ferrer of Spain also advanced, beating Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil 6-4, 6-1. And another Spaniard, the in-form No. 4 Juan Carlos Ferrero, also reached the quarters, beating Igor Andreev of Russia 6-4, 6-3.
Two-time defending champion Nicolas Almagro of Spain made it to the last eight by edging Richard Gasquet of France 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7).
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