Taiwan’s Hsieh sisters advanced to the Hong Kong Open doubles quarter-finals yesterday, while fellow Taiwanese Chan Chin-wei had to rally from a set down to advance.
Hsieh Su-wei, the world No. 4 in women’s doubles, and younger sister Hsieh Shu-ying saved five of seven break-point chances and converted five of 11 to defeat Israel’s Julia Glushko and Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium 6-4, 6-3 in 1 hour, 2 minutes at the Victoria Park Tennis Stadium.
The Hsieh sisters next face either fourth seeds Janette Husarova of Slovakia and Zheng Saisai of China or Patricia Mayr-Achleitner of Austria and Arina Rodionova of Australia, who are due to play their first-round match today.
Chan and her partner Xu Yi-fan of China had to battle back from a set down to defeat Japan’s Shuko Aoyama and Raluca Olaru of Romania in the super tiebreak 3-6, 6-3, 10-8.
Chan and Xu saved five of 10 break-point chances and converted five of six in 1 hour, 30 minutes to set up a quarter-final against Czech sisters Karolina and Kristyna Pliskova or Hong Kong duo Venise Chan and Wu Ho Ching, who are due to play their first-round match today.
Also starting their campaign today are top seeds and Taiwanese sisters Chan Yung-jan and Chan Hao-ching, who are due to face Magda Linette of Poland and Hong Kong’s Zhang Ling, while fellow Taiwanese Chuang Chia-jung and Junri Namigata of Japan are due to face China’s Han Xinyun and Petra Martic of Croatia.
In the singles yesterday, Christina McHale of the US was the only seeded player to exit in the first round after the fourth seed fell to a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 defeat to former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy, but top seed Sabine Lisicki of Germany was still battling to remain in the competition as at press time after losing the first set against Romania’s Monica Niculescu.
Third seed Karolina Pliskova rallied from a set down to defeat Polona Hercog of Slovenia 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, fifth seed Zheng Jie of China beat lucky loser Misa Eguchi of Japan 6-1, 7-6 (7/5), sixth seed Wickmayer defeated Russian qualifier Elizaveta Kulichkova 6-4, 6-4 and seventh seed Jana Cepelova of Slovakia eased past Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa 6-2, 6-1.
There were also victories for Zheng Saisai, Belgium’s Alison van Uytvanck, Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig, China’s Zhang Kai-lin and Zhu Lin, and Australian qualifier Jarmila Gajdosova.
Also advancing was Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm, who defeated Sweden’s Johanna Larsson 6-3, 6-3 before revealing she had sent losing US Open finalist Kei Nishikori a text message.
“I sent him a text message,” Date-Krumm said. “I said don’t be sad because it was a big, big success. Try to go to the next stage.”
“For a Japanese player to get to the final is a big, big success,” she said. “Kei is not a big guy. He has so much talent, but it’s not easy.”
Additional reporting by AFP
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