Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer won a battle of the generations yesterday over 39-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 in opening group play at the Bali Tournament of Champions.
The field at the US$600,000 tournament comprises the 10 highest ranking players who have won a WTA International title this year but who did not compete in the season-ending WTA Championships in Qatar, which finished on Sunday.
Wickmayer, 20, a surprise US Open semi-finalist two months ago, gave away nearly two decades to her evergreen opponent, who is renewing her career after a decade-long pause.
PHOTO: EPA
The veteran Japanese, who returned to the WTA last year and claimed lower-level ITF titles in Tokyo and Monzon, Spain last season, capped her comeback by winning Seoul in September to qualify into the Bali field.
Asia’s only entry in the 12-woman event now has it all to do for a possible place in Saturday’s semi-finals at the event played inside a huge hotel ballroom on the Indonesian resort island.
The 101-ranked Date-Krumm, who is married to German racing driver Michael Krumm, lost serve five times as her younger European opponent took charge, never allowing the veteran a chance to turn the tide.
Wickmayer’s victory in just over 90 minutes was her 55th of a breakthrough season in which she won both of her career titles.
France claimed a pair of opening-day wins with top seed Marion Bartoli and Aravane Rezai earning group victories
Rezai, winner of the title at Strasbourg before Roland Garros, took one hour 44 minutes to secure victory over upcoming German Sabine Lisicki.
The 12-ranked Frenchwoman kept the pressure on the 20-year-old world No. 25, forcing her to save 11 of 14 break points.
The 44th-ranked Rezai came through to victory despite seven double-faults.
Bartoli, who played the final at this tropical resort three years ago against Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova when the event was a regular WTA season tournament, started her campaign over Slovakia’s Magdalena Rybarikova 6-4, 6-4.
Bartoli won two titles this year that put her into the Bali field, taking wins at Monterrey and Stanford.
The top seed secured her opening victory after losing serve only once and breaking three times, including in the penultimate game.
Bartoli improved to 47-21 this season.
In the concluding match on yesterday’s program, Australian second seed Samantha Stosur, who has had only a day to get acclimated after arriving Monday night from Doha, began her campaign with a match against Hungary’s Agnes Szavay.
The match was still in progress at press time.
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
Alex Michelsen on Thursday rallied for a 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 upset victory over third-seeded Lorenzo Musetti in the men’s singles, converting his seventh match point to reach the fourth round of the Canadian Open. Michelsen reached the last 16 of a Masters 1000 for the first time with his second win over a top-10 player in eight attempts. The 20-year-old American survived nearly 50 unforced errors and converted just two of nine break chances, but it was enough to vanquish Italy’s Musetti, a two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist ranked 10th in the world. “It feels really good,” the 26th-ranked Michelsen said. “I’ve put
RSS