Wed, Jun 22, 2011 page20

• Chang falls at first hurdle in London

  WIMBLEDON WOES: While Taiwan’s Chang Kai-chen was ousted in the first round, defending champion Serena Williams was in tears after she struggled into the last 64

  • Staff Writer, with Reuters and AFP, LONDON
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  Taiwan’s Chang Kai-chen lasted just 73 minutes at Wimbledon yesterday as she was beaten 6-4, 6-2 in the women’s singles first round by New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic.

  Chang landed 70 percent of her first serves, two of them aces, but 25 unforced errors compared with Erakovic’s 11 told the story as the world No. 136 Taiwanese fell at the first hurdle at the All England Club in southwest London.

  Champion Serena Williams, playing just her third match in 11 months, struggled past Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to reach the last 64 and promptly broke down in tears.

  

  Taiwan’s Chang Kai-chen waits for Marina Erakovic of New Zealand to serve in their women’s singles first-round match at Wimbledon in London yesterday.

  Photo: AFP

  The 29-year-old, seeded seven after missing almost a year because of a foot injury and life-threatening illness following her fourth Wimbledon title, was inconsolable as she walked off court and during her TV interview.

  “I usually don’t cry, I don’t understand it. It’s been so hard, I never dreamed I’d be here,” said Williams, who had described her battle against blood clots on her lungs as like being on her death bed. “I just wanted to win at least one match here and since I’m not playing doubles it was a really big win for me. It’s been so hard and has been a disaster year. To be able to come back at Wimbledon is pretty awesome, I didn’t expect to play or do anything. I’m just excited.”

  Watched by US pop superstar Diana Ross and England’s Ashes-winning cricketers up in the Royal Box, Williams dropped the first two games of the match against Rezai, before racing through the next six games to take the first set.

  

  Serena Williams of the US returns to France’s Aravane Rezai in their women’s singles first-round match at Wimbledon in London yesterday.

  Photo: EPA

  Rezai, whose ranking has slumped to No. 61 from a career high 15 last year after she suffered a controversial and public split from her father, dug deep to break in the sixth game of the second set on her way to leveling the match, but Williams, desperate not to become only the second defending champion to lose in the first round, shrugged off her stamina and timing problems to dominate the final set, claiming victory with her 13th ace.

  She next tackles Romania’s Simona Halep for a place in the last 32.

  India’s Sania Mirza could also be forgiven for shedding a few tears as she was knocked out of Wimbledon, losing 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 6-3 in the first round to grieving Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano, recently bereaved by the death of her fiance.

  

  Britain’s Andy Murray returns to Daniel Gimeno-Traver of Spain in their men’s singles first-round match on Centre Court at Wimbledon in London on Monday.

  Photo: EPA

  Playing with her left knee taped up, Mirza, 24, gave Razzano a close run on a breezy Court Nine at the All England Club, where she enjoyed plenty of Indian support.

  In the first set, Mirza broke twice for a 3-0 lead, but Razzano broke back immediately and took the next game to love as the Indian played herself into trouble with unforced errors.

  Mirza, the world No. 60, served for the set at 5-4 up, but yelled in fury as two attempted drop shots went wrong and Razzano broke, before going on to take the tiebreak.

  In the second set, again Mirza took an early lead and this time held it, breaking again to take the second set 6-2.

  The deciding set went with serve until Razzano broke for 4-3, then held serve, before breaking her opponent to take the match.

  Razzano played through the French Open wearing a black ribbon in memory of her fiance Stephane Vidal, who died from a brain tumor last month.

  On Monday, Rafael Nadal made a dazzling start to his Wimbledon title defense with an easy win over Michael Russell of the US, before home favorite Andy Murray produced some indoor fireworks to join the Spaniard in the second round.

  World No. 1 Nadal, playing at the grass-court Grand Slam for the first time as defending champion after injury denied him the honor in 2009, beat Russell 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 after taking a few games to get to grips with the 33-year-old journeyman.

  After heavy rain shut down play on the 17 courts not equipped with a roof, Murray made full use of Centre Court’s translucent sliding canopy to give British fans some cheer, despite a scare against Spain’s Daniel Gimeno-Traver.

  World No. 4 Murray, who beat Stanislas Wawrinka in the only other whole Wimbledon match to be played under the ￡80 million (US$129 million) roof in 2009, reeled off the last 15 games to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-0, 6-0.

  Canada’s fast-rising 31st seed Milos Raonic, a potential third-round opponent for Nadal, fired down 25 aces to beat Frenchman Marc Gicquel 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 and Czech Tomas Berdych, runner-up last year, crushed Italy’s Filippo Volandri.

  Ninth seed Gael Monfils beat Germany’s Matthias Bachinger in straight sets and he was joined in the second round by fellow Frenchman and former semi-finalist Richard Gasquet.

  Three-time runner-up Andy Roddick got no further than the knock-up against Andreas Beck on Court One before the rain arrived, but fellow American Mardy Fish, the 10th seed, got though against Spain’s Marcel Granollers.

  Murray’s test against Gimeno-Traver could hold him in good stead as he aims to become Britain’s first male Grand Slam champion since 1936.

  In front of a surprising amount of empty seats, Murray was initially caught cold by an opponent playing inspired “indoor” tennis to take the opening set.

  At 3-3 in the second set the outcome of the match was still far from certain, before fourth seed Murray suddenly moved up a level to produce some exhibition tennis.

  “It’s like almost too perfect,” said Murray, who romped through the final two sets in 46 minutes. “There’s obviously no wind, no sun, no elements to contend with. It’s a different kind of grass-court tennis.”
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