Reigning WTA Guangzhou Open champion and Taiwan’s first Grand Slam winner Hsieh Su-wei claimed victory in both her singles and doubles first round matches yesterday, the opening day of this year’s tournament.
Sixth-seeded Hsieh defeated Argentina’s Paula Ormaechea 6-1, 6-2 in 56 minutes in her singles match in the morning.
In the afternoon Hsieh then won her first round doubles match with partner Peng Shuai of China. The top seeds and Wimbledon champions overcame Maria Fernanda Alvarez Teran of Bolivia and Keri Wong of the US 6-3, 6-3.
Hsieh will face China’s Zhang Shuai in the second round of the singles, after the wild-card beat Russia’s Olga Puchkova in their first round clash 6-0, 7-6 (7/1).
Briton Johanna Konta won her first round match against Richel Hogenkamp from the Netherlands, 6-3, 6-2, while Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic beat Sweden’s Johanna Larsson 6-4, 6-3.
Galina Voskoboeva from Kazakhstan and Monica Puig from Puerto Rico will face off in the second round after both won their first round games.
Vania King of the US earned a hard fought 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over South African Chanelle Scheepers, the tournament winner in 2011.
BELL CHALLENGE
Reuters
Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic won her fifth WTA title when she edged New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic 6-4, 6-3 in the final of the Bell Challenge in Quebec City on Sunday.
Third seed Safarova’s serve proved a decisive weapon as the left-hander ended a five-year victory drought and improved her record in WTA finals to 5-7.
“I hope it’s not another five years until the next [title],” said Safarova, who was broken early in the first set, but held serve the rest of the way.
Sixth seed Erakovic had her chances, but the New Zealander squandered five break points.
Safarova broke Erakovic four times on the indoor carpet.
“It was just about a few points today, but I was more consistent with my game and more aggressive, and I think that’s why I won,” Safarova said.
“My strategy was to try to go to her backhand side and just try to use my lefty shots as well as I could. I was a little bit nervous at the end because it was so long since my last WTA title,” she said. “I really wanted to win the title today — so it’s great I was able to do that.”
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