Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching yesterday joined elder sister Chan Yung-jan in the semi-finals of a WTA Tour doubles tournament at the Aegon Classic in Birmingham, England.
However, Chan Hao-ching and Zhang Shuai had to fight back from a set down for the second consecutive match before completing a 2-6, 6-2, 10-6 quarter-final victory over Shuko Aoyama of Japan and Yang Zhaoxuan of China in 1 hour, 17 minutes at Edgbaston Priory Club.
The Taiwanese-Chinese duo saved five of eight break points and converted three of nine to set up a semi-final today against US pairing Raquel Atawo and Christina McHale, who were handed a walkover in their quarter-final against second seeds Abigail Spears on the US and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia.
At the Mallorca Open on Thursday, top seeds Chan Yung-jan and Martina Hingis also had to rally from a set down for the second consecutive match as they eventually prevailed 2-6, 6-3, 10-7 in their doubles quarter-final against Elise Mertens of Belgium and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands.
The Taiwanese-Swiss duo saved one of four break points and converted two of four in 1 hour, 26 minutes to set up a semi-final against Nicole Melichar of the US and Anna Smith of Britain, who ousted third seeds Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany and Kveta Peschke of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-4.
“Got my suitcase last night at 11pm and we got our spot in semis just now, things are getting better,” Chan Yung-jan wrote on Facebook after waiting four days for her luggage to arrive on the Spanish island.
In the singles, former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka’s return from maternity leave was cut short by young Croatian Ana Konjuh.
The Belarussian, who saved match points in her first-round win over Japan’s Risa Ozaki, went down 6-1, 6-3 to the seventh seed on the grass courts at Santa Ponsa.
Konjuh, 19, dominated from the start and Azarenka had no answer to the depth and power of her opponent.
“I know Azarenka is coming back, but it’s always tough to play against her,” said Konjuh, who did not allow Azarenka a point until the third game of the match. “She’s one of the best players in the world. I was motivated for sure, and I’m really glad that I could play so well today and win.”
Konjuh was due to face Anastasija Sevastova in the quarter-finals.
Italy’s Roberta Vinci also reached the last eight with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 win over Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens.
INJURY TURMOIL: Despite stunning French Open champions Paolini and Errani to advance, Chan was forced to pull out after her partner’s tearful women’s singles defeat Last year’s mixed doubles champions Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan and Poland’s Jan Zielinski on Monday crashed out of the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, leaving the Taiwanese star focused on pursuing a fifth women’s doubles title in London, while a partner injury forced compatriot Chan Hao-ching to give up on her doubles campaign. Hsieh and Zielinksi, who last year also won the Australia Open title, narrowly lost their opening set 7-6 (9/7), before Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani stunned the former champions 6-3 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. The Taiwanese-Polish duo had been dominant in the first two
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