Chan Yung-jan kept her bid for a third consecutive WTA Tour doubles title on track in Strasbourg, France, yesterday, while fellow Taiwanese Chuang Chia-jung and Misaki Doi of Japan stunned the top seeds in the first round of the doubles in Nuremberg, Germany, on Tuesday.
Chan, who won the Mutua Madrid Open and Internazionali BNL d’Italia titles with Martina Hingis the past two weekends, has been reunited with younger sister Chan Hao-ching this week at the Internationaux de Strasbourg and the top seeds took 1 hour, 15 minutes to see off the challenge of Raluca Olaru of Romania and Olga Savchuk of Ukraine 6-1, 6-4 in their quarter-final.
The Chan sisters, eyeing a second title of the season after winning the Taiwan Open in February, saved all 12 break points they faced and converted three of nine to advance to a semi-final against qualifiers Chantal Skamlova of Slovakia and Eva Wacanno of the Netherlands.
In the first round late on Tuesday, the Chan sisters had cruised past American pairing Madison Brengle and Christina McHale 6-2, 6-1 in 60 minutes.
In the second round of the singles on Tuesday, Kristyna Pliskova ousted ninth seed and Olympic champion Monica Puig of Puerto Rico 6-2, 6-3 in 1 hour, 16 minutes.
The Czech’s previous match against Puig was at last year’s Australian Open, when she fired a record 31 aces, but still lost in three sets.
“I remember the match. It was a big one and I had a few match points,” Pliskova told the WTA Web site. “I expected a tough match today because she’s a good player.”
Also advancing to the quarter-finals were Spanish fourth seed Carla Suarez Navarro, Australian sixth seed Samantha Stosur and Chinese eighth seed Peng Shuai.
At the Nuernberger Versicherungscup on Tuesday, Chuang and Doi stunned top seeds Sania Mirza of India and Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan 7-5, 6-2 in the first round of the doubles.
The Taiwanese-Japanese duo saved six of eight break points and converted five of seven to win in 1 hour, 19 minutes and set up a quarter-final against qualifiers Mariana Duque-Marino of Colombia and Nao Hibino of Japan.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Rafael Nadal on Tuesday lost in straight sets to 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round at the Madrid Open, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced to the semi-finals in the women’s doubles. Nadal said that he was feeling good about his progress following his latest injury layoff. Nadal called it a “positive week” in every way and said his body held up well. “I was able to play four matches, a couple of tough matches,” Nadal said. “So very positive, winning three matches, playing four matches at the high level of tennis. I enjoyed a lot playing at home. I leave here with
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just