Top-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga reached the second round of the China Open by beating Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 7-6 (7), 7-5 in Beijing yesterday.
“I didn’t move really well, didn’t hit the ball really good, but I was on the court with my head,” said the seventh-ranked Frenchman, who won his first career match in Beijing in 2004. “The China Open is the story of my life.”
Tsonga finished the match with nine aces and improved to 3-0 against Dimitrov. He will next face Chinese qualifier Zhang Ze, who beat Li Zhe 6-1, 6-3.
Photo: AFP
Also, Albert Montanes of Spain beat Paul Capdeville of Chile 6-3, 6-3, Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany defeated Tommy Robredo of Spain 6-3, 7-6 (0), Mikhail Youzhny of Russia beat Nicolas Almagro of Spain 6-3, 6-2, and Fabio Fognini of Italy defeated Grega Zemlja of Slovenia 6-4, 6-1.
In the women’s tournament, US Open champion Samantha Stosur was knocked out yesterday in another upset at the tournament following shock defeats for the women’s Wimbledon and French Open champions.
The Australian world No.7 lost 7-5, 1-6, 7-5 in the second round to 2005 Beijing champion Maria Kirilenko, following early exits for French Open winner Li Na and Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.
Stosur was beaten in her opener last week in Tokyo as she played her first match since beating Serena Williams in last month’s US Open final. Kirilenko broke in the final game to claim the victory, with Stosur saving only one of six break points in a match lasting more than two hours.
Three other women’s seeds advanced, with two-time Grand Slam finalist Vera Zvonareva (third seed) of Russia putting out Czech Klara Zakopalova 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 and French eight seed Marion Bartoli beating American Christina McHale 6-2, 6-1
Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, seeded 13, defeated Spain’s Maria Martinez Sanchez 6-2, 6-3.
In the women’s second-round doubles, Taiwan’s Chan Yung-jan and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic lost to Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond of the US 7-5, 6-3.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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