Taiwanese tennis player Chan Yung-jan (詹詠然) advanced to the third round of the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, on Tuesday after third-seed Serena Williams had to pull out of the match with a groin strain.
Chan was leading 5-3 in the first set when Williams, who was playing with her right thigh strapped, couldn't go on after taking two time-outs for treatment.
Chan could be in line to play 14th seed Venus Williams in the next round, if Venus were to beat unseeded Vasilisa Bardina in their second-round match yesterday.
PHOTO: AP
The Taiwanese player had turned in a strong performance in the first round, beating Severine Bremond of France, ranked 39th in the world, in straight sets 6-2, 6-3. Chang, now 92nd in the world rankings, is playing for a US$1.34 million prize.
However, things did not go so smoothly in the women's doubles, where she and partner Chuang Chia-jung (
Despite being seeded fifth, the Taiwanese pair fell in three sets 1-6, 6-4, 4-6 for the worst finish of their career together.
The two made 70 percent of their first serves, but had five fewer aces than their opponents.
They also converted only four of their 15 service break opportunities, while Molik and Santangely completed six of their own.
The elimination marks the first time Chuang and Chan have not reached the quarter-finals since they began playing together.
Williams said she had actually first hurt herself in practice on Monday.
"I've been playing a lot on the clay ... I was just sliding a lot and I think I just slid too far," she said.
Williams had taken last week off after posting a hard-fought victory over Belgian Justine Henin in the final of the prestigious hardcourt tournament at Miami -- adding that title to the Australian Open crown she captured in January in her eighth Grand Slam triumph.
The tournament also lost top seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova on Tuesday as Michaella Krajicek rallied to beat her 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the second round.
In the only other second-round match of the day, China's eighth seed Li Na (
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