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Jankovic advances in straight sets

Chan Yung-jan of Taiwan hits a shot to Victoria Azarenka of Belarus on Wednesday at the East West Bank Classic at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. PHOTO: AFP

Serbian top seed Jelena Jankovic denied American Vania King on two set points in the opening set, then won eight of the last 10 games to advance 7-5, 6-2 in the WTA hardcourt tournament in Carson, California on Wednesday.

Jankovic, ranked a career-best second in the world, improved to 4-0 against King and advanced to a third-round match yesterday against Hungary’s Melinda Czink, who defeated Ukraine’s Olga Savchuk 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Jankovic, 23, won her sixth career title earlier this year in Rome and has reached the quarter-finals in 11 of 12 events this year.

A finalist here in 2006 and a semi-finalist last year before losing to countrywoman and eventual winner Ana Ivanovic, Jankovic hopes for another deep run as she prepares for next month’s US Open.

French Open champion Ivanovic, the world No. 1, is not defending her title.

Japan’s Ai Sugiyama upset Swiss seventh seed Patty Schnyder while Russian fourth seed Dinara Safina ousted China’s Peng Shuai in other second-round matches on Wednesday.

Safina won 6-2, 6-2 while Sugiyama subdued Schnyder 6-4, 7-5 and was due to face Italy’s Flavia Pennetta next, who beat Austrian Tamira Paszek 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Australian Samantha Stosur ousted Russia’s Regina Kulikova 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 to face eighth seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, who eliminated Taiwan’s Chan Yung-jan 6-1, 6-3.

Chan had better luck in the doubles, teaming up with compatriot Chuang Chia-jung to earn a second round victory over Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, and Flavia Pennetta. The Taiwanese pair breezed through 6-1, 6-2.

British lucky loser Melanie South, who reached the draw when US second seed Serena Williams withdrew, defeated Czech Petra Kvitova 6-4, 6-2 to earn a match against China’s Yuan Meng, who ousted India’s Sania Mirza 6-4, 6-3.

American Bethanie Mattek, who has improved her ranking almost 100 places since early April, took another step forward with a 6-4, 6-0 victory against 11th-seeded Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic.

The 23-year-old Mattek was ranked 153rd in the WTA Tour rankings on April 7 after losing six of seven matches to open the season.

But she made it to the semi-finals of a grass-court tournament in England before losing to Serena Williams in the round of 16 at Wimbledon, moving her into 59th place.

Mattek’s win over Vaidisova was her ninth in 11 matches. Mattek’s third-round opponent yesterday was Olga Govortsova of Belarus, who upset No. 6 Daniela Hantuchova of on Tuesday.

Mattek said her turnaround has been primarily due to being physically fit and able to play more often and more consistently.

“I attribute a lot of it to my fitness level,” she said. “I think I’m in the best shape of my career right now. I’ve played a lot of matches and that’s made me mentally tough.”

“I’ve been able to fight my way through matches. I’ve stayed a lot healthier this year. Last year I’d win a match 7-6 in the third [set] and then be dead for the next match. Plus when you’re playing the top girls week in and week out you get a feel for their game,” Mattek said.

“It’s a lot faster, but you get used to that pace. I’ve had a great couple of months,” she said.
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