Taiwanese second seed Hsieh Su-wei was a surprise casualty at the OEC Taipei Ladies’ Open yesterday, losing her first-round match to compatriot Chuang Chia-jung in three sets.
The world No. 87 took the first set 6-3, but Chuang, ranked nearly 400 places lower in the singles rankings, bounced back to take the second by the same score.
Chuang maintained her momentum to win the deciding set 6-2 and send her doubles partner crashing out of the tournament. The 23-year-old from Kaohsiung will play Kumiko Ijima of Japan next.
PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
No. 1 seed Chan Yung-jan cruised through her match with Japan’s Yuka Kuroda to win 6-2, 6-1 and set up a clash with another Japanese, Tomoyo Takagashi.
Earlier, veteran Japanese player Kimiko Date-Krumm defeated fifth-seeded compatriot Rika Fujiwara in straight sets in an entertaining contest yesterday afternoon.
The 38-year-old took an even first set 6-4 before Fujiwara claimed a break of serve early in the second set. Date-Krumm broke back, however, before claiming the set 6-4 to earn her place in the second round.
PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
Date-Krumm, who entered the tournament as a late wild card, made a surprise return to the professional ranks earlier this year after retiring in 1996.
Even more unusually, she plays right-handed, despite being a natural left-hander, but it didn’t stop her from reaching a career-high ranking of No. 4 in the world in 1995.
Another two Japanese seeds tumbled out of the tournament yesterday. First Aiko Nakamura lost in straight sets to Lenka Tvaraskova of Slovakia. The 26-year-old, ranked No. 240 in the world, upset the No. 8 seed 6-2, 6-4 to earn a second round clash with Noppawan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand.
Later on No. 4 seed Ayumi Morita went down in straight sets to Italy’s Corinna Dentoni.
Also advancing yesterday were Australian No. 7 seed Jessica Moore and Hwang I-hsuan, who beat fellow-Taiwanese Hsu Wen-hsin 6-2, 6-3.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
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