Taiwan’s Chuang Chia-jung advanced to the semi-finals of the doubles at the Japan Open yesterday, while the Chan sisters’ quarter-final was interrupted by rain.
Second seeds Chuang and Liang Chen of China eased past Japanese duo Shuko Aoyama and Makoto Ninomiya 6-2, 6-4 in 1 hour, 15 minutes at Ariake Colosseum.
The cross-strait duo saved two of three break points and converted four of 12, winning 58 of the 108 points contested to set up a semi-final against Japanese wild-cards Misaki Doi and Kurumi Nara, who upset fourth-seeded Chinese pairing Xu Yifan and Zheng Saisai 3-6, 6-3, 10-5.
RAIN DELAY
Top seeds Chan Hao-ching and Chan Yung-jan were leading 3-1 against Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan and Nicole Melichar of the US when their quarter-final was interrupted by rain and rescheduled for today.
The winners advance to a semi-final against Ukrainian duo Kateryna Bondarenko and Olga Savchuk, who ousted third seeds Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Alicja Rosolska of Poland 7-5, 6-4.
Also due on court today is Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei, who is taking on Japan’s Kurumi Nara in the second round of the singles.
In yesterday’s second-round singles matches, third seed Madison Brengle of the US overpowered Japanese wild-card Nao Hibino 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the quarter-finals.
Brengle won six of eight break points at Ariake Colosseum to see off Hibino, one of three players from the host nation to exit the singles on the third day.
Sixth seed Christina McHale, also of the US, beat Risa Ozaki 6-1, 7-5, while seventh seed Ajla Tomljanovic of Croatia defeated veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm 7-6 (7/5), 6-3.
Brengle next faces Tomljanovic in the quarter-finals. Tomljanovic beat Brengle 6-1, 6-1 in Strasbourg, France, in May.
Also advancing yesterday was Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium, who beat fifth seed Johanna Larsson of Sweden 7-5, 6-3.
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