Chinese superstar Li Na battled her way to yet another victory yesterday, downing Romania’s Monica Niculescu after three action-packed sets in the quarter-finals of the Shenzhen Open.
Li, Asia’s highest-ranking player in tennis history, opened strongly, besting Niculescu 7-5 in the first set.
The 26-year-old Romanian fought back with a 6-4 win in the second, before Li toppled her in the third set 6-4.
Photo: AFP
Li, 31, the defending Shenzhen Open champion, is also the world No. 3. Her success has sparked a new Chinese interest in tennis, as well as a swell of national pride.
China’s state broadcaster CCTV this week named her rise its No. 2 sports story of last year.
China notched another victory yesterday when fifth seed Peng Shuai soared to victory over Slovakia’s Jana Cepelova 6-3, 6-2.
Vania King of the US bested Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-4, while eighth seed Annika Beck of Germany came back from an initial 3-6 loss in the first set to triumph over Austria’s Patricia Mayr-Achleitner in the final two, 6-3, 6-1.
AUCKLAND CLASSIC
AFP, AUCKLAND, New Zealand
Ana Ivanovic continued her compelling form at the Auckland Classic as she swept into the semi-finals with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Japan’s Kurumi Nara yesterday.
She is joined in the final four by Venus Williams, Kirsten Flipkens and Jamie Hampton.
Ivanovic raced through her match against Nara in 76 minutes, dominating with her powerful first serve.
The in-form Serb next plays close friend and doubles partner Flipkens for a place in the finals.
Third seed Flipkens had to fight back from 2-5 down in the second set to defeat Sachie Ishizu of Japan 6-4, 7-5.
Belgian Flipkens has also won every match this week in straight sets and she broke Ishizu twice late in the second set to ensure she retained her record.
The second semi-final today is an all-American affair after Jamie Hampton beat Lauren Davis 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in a marathon three-setter and Venus Williams beat Spain’s Garbine Muguruza 6-3, 6-3.
Hong Kong-based cricket team Hung See this weekend found success in their matches in Taiwan, even if none of the results went their way. Hung See played the Chairman’s XI on Saturday morning, the Daredevils that afternoon and PCCT yesterday, with all three home teams winning. The team for Chinese players at the Happy Valley-based Craigengower Cricket Club sends teams on tour to “spread the game of cricket.” This weekend was Hung See’s second trip to Taiwan after visiting Tainan in 2016. “The club has been traveling to all parts of the world since 1982 and the annual tradition continues [with the Taiwan
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Coco Gauff’s dreams of a first women’s singles title in Melbourne were crushed in the quarter-finals by Paula Badosa. World No. 2 Alexander Zverev was ruffled by a stray feather in his men’s singles quarter-final, but he refocused to beat 12th seed Tommy Paul and reach the semi-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania and Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in 2 hours, 20 minutes to advance the semi-finals. Hsieh and Ostapenko converted eight of 14 break
The San Francisco Giants signed 18-year-old Taiwanese pitcher Yang Nien-hsi (陽念希) to a contract worth a total of US$500,000 (NT $16.39 million). At a press event in Taipei on Wednesday, Jan. 22, the Giants’ Pacific Rim Area scout Evan Hsueh (薛奕煌) presented Yang with a Giants jersey to celebrate the signing. The deal consisted of a contract worth US$450,000 plus a US$50,000 scholarship bonus. Yang, who stands at 188 centimeters tall and weighs 85 kilograms, is of Indigenous Amis descent. With his fastest pitch clocking in at 150 kilometers per hour, Yang had been on Hsueh’s radar since playing in the HuaNan Cup
HARD TO SAY GOODBYE: After Coco Gauff dispatched Belinda Bencic in the fourth round, she wrote ‘RIP TikTok USA’ and drew a broken heart on a television camera lens Defending champion Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while compatriot Chan Hao-ching on Saturday dominated her opponents in the second round, as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka swept into the quarter-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia toppled Hungary’s Timea Babos and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US 6-4, 6-3, hitting 24 winners and converting three of seven break points in 1 hour, 18 minutes at 1573 Arena. Although rivals at last year’s Australian Open — where Hsieh and Belgium’s Elise Mertens beat Ostapenko and Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok 6-1, 7-5
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