Chang Kai-chen advanced to the semi-finals of the singles at the OEC Taipei WTA Challenger yesterday, while fellow Taiwanese Chan Hao-ching and Chan Yung-jan set up an all-Taiwanese showdown in the semi-finals of the doubles at the Taipei Arena.
World No. 154 Chang defeated world No. 145 Luksika Kumkhum of Thailand 6-1, 7-5 in 1 hour, 12 minutes in their quarter-final at the WTA 125k tournament in the capital.
Taoyuan-born Chang saved five of seven break points and converted five of seven, winning 70 of the 120 points contested, despite notching up six double faults.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
The Taiwanese improved her career record over the Thai to 3-2 with her first victory over Kumkhum since a 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 6-2 win in Taipei back in 2012.
In today’s semi-finals, Chang faces eighth seed Marina Erakovic of New Zealand, who ousted German world No. 126 Tatjana Maria 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) in 1 hour, 34 minutes.
The world No. 114, who was born in Split, Croatia, saved one of three break points and converted three of four, winning 71 of the 133 points contested.
Erakovic is one of only two seeds to make it to today’s semi-finals, the other being sixth seed Evgeniya Rodina of Russia.
The world No. 104 dropped the first set of her quarter-final against Ashleigh Barty 1-6. The Russian then raced to a 3-0 lead in the second before the world No. 325 from Ipswich, Australia, was forced to retire.
Rodina faces Olga Govortsova in the other semi-final after the Belarussian cruised past Vitalia Diatchenko of Russia 6-1, 6-3 in 61 minutes.
The home fans are guaranteed a Taiwanese pairing to cheer on in tomorrow’s double final after top seeds the Chan sisters kept their bid to reclaim the Taipei title on track with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Ankita Raina of India and Emily Webley-Smith of Britain in 55 minutes in their doubles quarter-final.
The home favorites saved two of four break points and converted five of eight, winning 53 of the 88 points contested to set up a semi-final against fellow Taiwanese Chang and Chuang Chia-jung.
The Chans have a 1-0 career record over their fellow Taiwanese, a 6-4, 6-3 victory in the 2014 final in Taipei.
It was not such a good day for Chan Chin-wei in the other quarter-final, as the Taiwanese and Riko Sawayanagi of Japan fell to 6-2, 6-4 defeat to third seeds Naomi Broady of Britain and Ipek Soylu of Turkey in 55 minutes.
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but