Taiwanese interest in the women’s doubles competition at the Australian Open ended yesterday with the quarter-final defeat of Chuang Chia-jung and Hsieh Su-wei by No. 12 seeds Victoria Azarenka and Maria Kirilenko.
The Belarussian and Russian duo lost the first set 5-7, but bounced back to win the next two 6-3, 6-2.
Their victory came a day after they accounted for Taiwan’s other representative in the competition, Chan Yung-jan, in a straight sets defeat of the Taiwanese and her Polish partner Agnieszka Radwanska.
Photo: Reuters
Chuang and Hsieh had their chances yesterday, but only won three of their eight break-point opportunities. In contrast, their opponents claimed seven out of 11 break points.
The unseeded Taiwanese duo can be pleased with their form in Melbourne, however, having accounted for No. 13 seeds Elena Vesnina and Vera Zvonareva during their run to the quarter-finals, in which they had not dropped a set before yesterday’s defeat.
Hopes for Taiwanese success in Melbourne now lie in the mixed doubles, with Chan and Paul Hanley of Australia facing a tough second round match against fourth seeds Leander Paes of India and Cara Black of Zimbabwe today.
There should be plenty of support for the Aussie/Taiwanese combo from the home crowd and the enthusiastic contingent of Taiwanese fans who have been cheering their compatriots on at Melbourne Park.
Chan has been grateful for their support.
“It’s the same every year,” she said of the presence of enthusiastic Taiwanese fans last week. “The first year I came here I was shocked, I never knew there were so many [Taiwanese] in Melbourne. It helps you as a player.”
Should Chan and Hanley prove successful, an intriguing quarter-final awaits against Chuang and Dick Norman of Belgium.
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