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King rallies to triumph at Indian Wells

Nicolas Keifer of Germany serves to Dudi Sela of Israel during their first-round tennis match at the Pacific Life Open on Thursday in Indian Wells, California. PHOTO: AP

Taiwanese-American Vania King rallied from 3-0 down in the final set to beat Luxembourg's Anne Kremer 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the Pacific Life Open on Thursday.

"I changed my strategy in the second set," King said. "I was running her a lot in the first set, but she was moving really well and putting me on the defensive. I tried to mix it up a little more and go at her, make her play more of an all-court game."

Fellow young Americans Melanie Oudin and Ahsha Rolle also advanced as the women completed their first round and the men got their opening round started.

The 16-year-old Oudin beat Maret Ani of Estonia 7-5, 6-2, and Rolle beat 17-year-old amateur Madison Brengle 6-2, 6-2.

Taiwan's Chan Yung-jan beat Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 but Hsieh Su-wei lost in three sets to Russian Elena Vesnina.

The top women's players were due to enter the fray yesterday when Australian Open champion and fifth seed Maria Sharapova was scheduled to meet French qualifier Stephanie Cohen-Aloro and second-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova was to face fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova.

Vania King prepares to hit a backhand in her match against Anne Kremer during the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, on Thursday. PHOTO: AFP

In the men's tournament Russian Dmitry Tursonov, at No. 37 the highest ranked man in action on Thursday, advanced with a 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory over Germany's Benjamin Becker.

Belgium's Xavier Malisse, trying to rebound from a right wrist injury that dropped him to No. 350, beat France's Florent Serra 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-0.

The day also produced a rarity when Italy's Fabio Fognini and Germany's Rainer Schuettler, a pair of lucky losers, met in a match, with Fognini winning 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Those two were called upon when Canada's Frank Dancevic and Colombia's Alejandro Falla withdrew because of injuries. Lucky losers hadn't met in the first round in a tour event since the Thailand Open in September.

Israel's Sela Dudi caused a mild upset, beating Germany's Nicolas Kiefer 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-3.

Swedes Jonas Bjorkman and Robin Soderling also won. Bjorkman beat Italy's Filippo Volandri 6-3, 7-6 (5), and Soderling topped France's Sebastien Grosjean 6-3, 6-3.
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