Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei celebrated New Year’s Day by taking just 68 minutes to advance to the second round of the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, while there were also victories for Petra Martic, Kirsten Flipkens and Julia Goerges.
World No. 83 Hsieh, making her first appearance in Auckland since she competed in qualifying 11 years ago, cruised to a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Japanese world No. 97 Nao Hibino in just 68 minutes.
Hsieh saved six of seven break points and converted five of 10 to avenge a 6-1, 1-6, 7-5 defeat in their only previous meeting in Tokyo in 2015.
Photo: EPA
Hsieh next faces either sixth seed Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan or Belgian qualifier Ysaline Bonaventure in the second round.
In yesterday’s other matches, Croatian Martic defeated Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7/2), 6-3; Belgian Flipkens ousted Croatian eighth seed Donna Vekic 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-4; and German second seed Goerges outlasted Puerto Rican Monica Puig 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
Taiwan’s Chan sisters are due to begin the new season today in the first round of the doubles at the Brisbane International in Australia.
Following the retirement of Martina Hingis, doubles world No. 1 Latisha Chan, who previously played on the WTA Tour under her Chinese name, Chan Yung-jan, is teaming up with Czech Andrea Sestini Hlavackova, who has also changed her name following her marriage in July last year.
The top seeds are due to take on Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands and Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia.
Younger sister Chan Hao-ching and Katarina Srebotnik take on Nadiia Kichenok of Ukraine and Anastasia Rodionova of Australia, with the Chan sisters headed for a possible early season showdown in the quarter-finals.
In the first round of singles yesterday, Johanna Konta opened her season with a tough 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over US Open finalist Madison Keys.
Fifth seed Konta entered the Australian Open tuneup after losing her final four matches last year, including a first-round exit at the US Open.
After dropping the first set, Konta hit form quickly and had decisive service breaks early in the second and third sets, before clinching it on her second match point, breaking Keys’ serve to finish off in just over two hours.
“To get the chance to play such a high-quality match so early on is only a good thing to me, and to be able to come through in a three-set match as well and to get that much court time, it’s a good thing,” the Briton said.
Keys, playing just her second match since her career-best run at the US Open last year, had 11 aces and hit 37 winners, but made 38 unforced errors.
“It was good tennis today — I haven’t played a match in four months, so it’s like a win for me,” Keys said. “I played really well. She played better. I’m not that upset about it.”
In other matches, third seed Elina Svitolina opened with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Carla Suarez Navarro; 2012 champion Kaia Kanepi beat Daria Kasatkina 6-2, 6-2; qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich ousted sixth seed Kristina Mladenovic 1-6, 6-3, 7-5; and Heather Watson lost 6-0, 6-3 to Anett Kontaveit.
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
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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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