Taiwan’s Latisha Chan and Czech partner Andrea Sestini Hlavackova yesterday survived a second-set meltdown to advance to the semi-finals of the doubles at the Sydney International, the final warm-up tournament before next week’s Australian Open.
The top seeds took one hour, 37 minutes to see off Andreja Klepac of Slovenia and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 7-6 (7/3), 1-6, 10-6, saving five of 11 break points and converting four of nine.
Chan, who previously played on the WTA Tour using her Chinese name, Chan Yung-jan, and Sestini Hlavackova advanced to the semi-finals despite winning only 67 of the 140 points contested and they next face Lara Arruabarrena of Spain and Lauren Davis of the US, who stunned fourth seeds Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands and Johanna Larsson of Sweden 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 10-7.
Photo: screen grab from Facebook
In the other semi-final, second seeds Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova are due to take on third seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Xu Yifan after the Czech duo edged Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine and Casey Dellacqua of Australia 6-4, 3-6, 10-7, while the Canadian-Chinese pairing defeated Shuko Aoyama of Japan and Yang Zhaoxuan of China 6-4, 7-5.
In the singles, top seed Garbine Muguruza yesterday overcame an injury scare to battle past Kiki Bertens 6-3, 7-6 (6) and advance to the quarter-finals.
The Wimbledon champion accepted a wildcard into the tournament after retiring with leg cramps during her opening match at the Brisbane International last week and called for a medical time-out after the third game against Bertens.
However, the Spanish world No. 3 returned to the Ken Rosewall Arena in full flow, breaking her Dutch opponent twice to surge 5-1 clear, while allaying fears of another injury setback ahead of next week’s Australian Open.
Bertens, who had won all three previous meetings against Muguruza in straight sets, recovered one of the breaks to halt her opponent’s march, but the two-time grand slam winner regrouped to close out the opening set.
Muguruza broke at the start of the second set against the 26-year-old world No. 32, but struggled to impose herself during the key moments, only converting three of 13 break-point opportunities and dropping her serve in the eighth game.
The Spaniard sealed victory on her fourth match point in the tiebreak when Mertens hit a return long.
AUCKLAND CLASSIC
Reuters
Argentine Juan Martin del Potro yesterday made a confident start to his preparations for the Australian Open with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Denis Shapovalov at the Auckland Classic.
Former US Open champion Del Potro hit eight aces to breeze past the 18-year-old Canadian, who hit 20 winners, but committed 40 unforced errors.
The 29-year-old second seed, who won the tournament in 2009 in his last appearance, is now the favorite after top-seeded US Jack Sock was bundled out by unheralded German Peter Gojowczyk.
Del Potro is to next face Russian Karen Khachanov, who beat sixth-seeded Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas 6-2, 7-(4), in the last eight.
HOBART INTERNATIONAL
Reuters
Belarusian teen Aryna Sabalenka yesterday blasted top seed Zhang Shuai out of the Hobart International, while former champion Heather Watson had a smooth ride to the quarter-finals with a 6-2, 6-2 win over wildcard Jaimee Fourlis.
Big-hitting Sabalenka had felled former world No. 5 Eugenie Bouchard in the first round and the Belarusian’s aggressive strategy paid dividends again as she triumphed 7-6 (3) 6-4.
Broken early, Sabalenka won four games in a row en route to a 5-2 lead in the first set when Zhang staged a comeback to level it at 5-5 before the Belarusian clinched the set.
Sabalenka was more in control in the second set when she claimed a decisive break at 4-3, before serving out to set up a quarter-final clash with fifth seed Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine.
Briton Watson had little difficulty in beating Australian Fourlis, a victory which moves the 2015 champion into a quarter-final against Donna Vekic, and Alison Riske also advanced after Belgian qualifier Kirsten Flipkens pulled out with a right shoulder injury.
France’s Kevin Aymoz snatched the men’s title at Skate America on Saturday, winning his first grand prix title with a battling free skate, while short program leader Kazuki Tomono faltered. It was an emotional triumph for Aymoz, who made his grand prix level debut in 2017, with seven prior podium finishes, but no gold. He had struggled with a painful foot injury since a disappointing 10th-place finish at Skate Canada last month. “It was so difficult,” the 28-year-old said. “After Skate Canada I wanted to give up so much and today I’m here and it’s so beautiful to be with my friends competing
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