Fri, Jun 25, 2010 page20

• WIMBLEDON 2010: Taiwan’s Chan vows to return stronger and fitter next year

  • STAFF WRITER WITH CNA AND AFP
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  Taiwan’s Chan Yung-jan has vowed to return to Wimbledon stronger and fitter next year following her second-round exit on Wednesday.

  Chan lost 6-3, 6-4 to Russian 12th seed Nadia Petrova, who will now play seven-time Grand Slam winner Justine Henin in the third round.

  The Taiwanese player had her chances, notably in the sixth game of the second set, when she failed to convert three break-points against the big-serving Russian and Chan said she will hit the gym to increase her power in preparation for a tilt at improving her chances of progressing beyond round two next year.

  “I feel much better on grass and next year there is a chance to be stronger,” Chan said. “Hopefully, I can get into the third round to break the record. I will train more and I want to move faster on the grass. I took a long time to get used to that court, so I will work on my footwork. The court was pretty slippery — we both slipped probably because they were dry and I was running very carefully. I will spend more time in the gym and get fitter. I have to train more and get more experience.”

  Chan was always up against it as Petrova has made the quarter-finals twice, but the 20-year-old can at least point to the fact that she finally won a singles match at the fifth attempt after her win over Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder on Monday.

  Petrova took control of the second set when she broke Chan in the fifth game. Chan double-faulted at 15-30 to hand her opponent two break-points and the Russian took full advantage to go 3-2 up. Chan should have hit back immediately, but squandered three break-points and Petrova sealed the game to go 4-2 in front.

  In the men’s draw, Taiwan’s Lu Yen-hsun admitted Wimbledon holds a special place in his heart as he prepared for a third-round clash with Germany’s Florian Meyer today.

  Lu made the last 32 for the first time when he got past Michal Przysiezny of Poland. Lu showed he has the game for grass and now he just wants to keep his focus so he can prolong his dream run in his favorite Grand Slam.

  “I am really happy now because it is the first time in the third round at Wimbledon for me,” Lu said. “I was in the third round in Australia, but this is different because it is on a grass court and it is a traditional tournament. I watched Wimbledon as a kid. It was the first Grand Slam of my playing career, so I always hope I can do well here and I have done pretty well. I played very well and I hope I can keep the focus.”

  Meyer will be a formidable opponent for Lu, who is bidding to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career.

  The German, a quarter-finalist in 2004, has put out world No. 12 Marin Cilic and Mardy Fish on his way to the third round.

  In women’s doubles, Taiwan’s Chuang Chia-jung and her Belarusian partner, Olga Govortsova, defeated a Belarusian-Russian pair 3-6, 7-6, 6-2 on Wednesday to progress to the second round.

  Chuang told Central News Agency that the pair’s chemistry has been improving after first playing together in Dubai early this year and later in Rome.

  “I’m positive we will reach the third round if we play as well as we did today,” Chuang said.

  Chuang’s performance at Wimbledon last year suffered because of a back injury, but she is in better shape this year.

  “Everything’s OK this year,” Chuang said.

  Also in the doubles, Taiwanese rookie Chang Kai-chen secured her second victory at Wimbledon on Wednesday with her Japanese partner, Ayumi Morita.

  Chang and Morita presented a powerful offense to stave off veterans Kimiko Date Krumm of Japan and Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand 6-3, 7-6 to qualify for the second round.

  The 19-year-old Chang bagged her first Wimbledon victory on Tuesday with a singles win over Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands 6-0, 2-6, 6-3 to progress to the second round, but she has her work cut out for her, as she was scheduled to meet third seed and world No. 4 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark on Centre Court yesterday.

  Chang said she was up to the challenge.

  “I will put more trust in myself, knowing that I can do my best,” she said. “To a certain degree, being nervous helps me play better. It’s kind of hard to control the ball if I’m too relaxed.”

  Also See: Isner, Mahut rewrite record book
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