Taiwanese duo Chang Kai-chen and Chuang Chia-jung yesterday rallied from a set down to stun the third seeds and advance to the semi-finals of the doubles at the Taiwan Open, while Kateryna Kozlova upset the fifth seed in the singles.
Chang and Chuang defeated Ukrainian twins Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok 2-6, 6-4, 11-9 in 1 hour, 24 minutes at the Heping Sports Complex in Taipei.
The Taiwanese duo saved four of nine break points and converted four of eight to advance to the semi-finals, despite five double faults.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Liberty Times
The Taiwanese pairing face a semi-final today against Chinese duo Duan Yingying and Wang Yafan, who overcame Priscilla Hon of Australia and Dalila Jakupovic of Slovenia 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 late on Thursday night.
Today’s other semi-final sees top seeds Timea Babos of Hungary and Chan Hao-ching of Taiwan take on Nao Hibino of Japan and Oksana Kalashnikova of Georgia.
In the quarter-finals of the singles, Ukrainian world No. 85 Kozlova defeated Kazakh fifth seed Yulia Putintseva 7-5, 6-3 in 1 hour, 40 minutes.
In today’s semi-finals, Kozlova faces German world No. 246 Sabine Lisicki, who rallied from a set down to defeat Romanian world No. 99 Monica Niculescu 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in 2 hours, 44 minutes.
It is former Wimbledon finalist Lisicki’s first tournament since undergoing knee surgery in the off-season.
Today’s other semi-final sees Babos take on Wang Yafan.
Fourth seed Babos took just 61 minutes to beat Polish seventh seed Magda Linette 6-1, 6-3.
The Hungarian saved one of two break points and converted five of seven, hitting five aces and winning 60 of the 98 points contested.
Chinese world No. 152 Wang took 64 minutes to rout Canadian Eugenie Bouchard 6-4, 6-0.
Wang saved two of three break points and converted five of 12, winning 62 of the 101 points contested.
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