Taiwan’s Chan Yung-jan stunned fifth seed Patricia Mayr-Achleitner at the OEC Taipei WTA Challenger yesterday, while younger sister Chan Hao-ching and fellow Taiwanese Chang Kai-chen crashed out of the singles tournament in the first round at the Taipei Arena.
World No. 212 Chan Yung-jan saved nine of 10 break-point chances and converted three of 11 to record a 7-5, 6-4 victory over the Austrian world No. 107 in 1 hour, 46 minutes on Center Court.
Chan Yung-jan is due to face world No. 155 Ekaterina Bychkova in the second round today after the Russian defeated Paula Kania of Poland 6-1, 6-4 on Court 1.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
Chang lost a 2 hour, 2 minute thriller on Center Court later yesterday as she fell to a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 defeat to fourth seed Alla Kudryavtseva.
The Taiwanese world No. 462, who rose as high as 82nd in the rankings in 2010, saved four of eight break-point chances and converted three of 10, but it was not enough against the 98th-ranked Russian.
Chan Hao-ching crashed out after a 6-4, 6-1 defeat to second seed Luksika Kumkhum in 1 hour, 4 minutes earlier yesterday on Center Court.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
The Chan sisters are teaming up in the doubles competition.
The Taiwanese duo, who have won two previous WTA Tour titles as a pairing, are the top seeds.
In yesterday’s other first-round singles matches, Israel’s Shahar Peer eased past Xu Yi-fan of China 6-2, 6-1; Japan’s Misaki Doi recovered from a second-set wobble to defeat Zhang Ling of Hong Kong 6-3, 1-6, 6-1; and Wang Yafan beat Zhu Lin 6-7 (7/9), 6-4, 7-6 (11/9) in an all-Chinese marathon battle that lasted 2 hours, 27 minutes.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
Sixth seed Vitalia Diatchenko of Russia defeated Hungary’s Melinda Czink 6-3, 6-2; Duan Ying-ying of China beat Japanese qualifier Shuko Aoyama 6-3, 6-4; and Elizaveta Kulichkova eased past Zhang Kai-lin of China 6-0, 6-2 in just 48 minutes.
In the late first-round singles matches, Thai qualifier Tamarine Tanasugarn defeated Kateryna Kozlova of Ukraine 6-4, 6-2 in 1 hour, 32 minutes; while Chinese third seed Zheng Saisai defeated world No. 129 Sharon Fichman of Canada 6-4, 6-2 in 1 hour, 19 minutes on Center Court.
Tanasugarn has 558 professional match wins under her belt, equal with Maria Sharapova of Russia for the fourth-highest number among active players.
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