Chinese contenders capped a great start to the
China Open WTA tournament for local hopes on the first day.
Peng Shuai of China
defeated Catalina Castano of Colombia 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the first round at
China Open WTA tournament in Beijing September
18,2006.[Xinhua]
|
Athens Olympic
doubles champion Sun Tiantian reduced Russian Vera Zvonareva to tears with a
6-4, 1-6, 6-2 win while world No. 60 Peng Shuai defeated Catalina Castano of
Colombia 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the first round.
Wild card entry Sun Tiantian recovered from the second set wobble to battle
for a 2-1 first round win over Russia's Vera Zvonareva.
The 29th-ranked Zvonareva had nine double faults against five for Sun.
China's number three Peng Shuai beat Colombia's Catalina Castano to claim a
second-round tie against Russia's defending champion and eighth seed Maria
Kirilenko or Gisela Dulko of Argentina.
Earlier Jankovic, who spent a few days at home in Belgrade after withdrawing
with a back injury from last week's Wismilak International in Bali, needed less
than three-quarters of an hour to crush Spain's Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-0, 6-1.
The Serb, ranked 17th, will await an opponent in the second round as Bali
finalist Marion Bartoli of France plays Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues.
Jankovic knocked out three top 10 players during her miracle fortnight at
Flushing Meadows as she put out Russians Elena Dementieva, Svetlana Kusnetsova
and Czech Nicole Vaidisova, the fourth seed here.
The rapid first set against Dominguez Lino took little more than a quarter of
an hour but Jankovic said there was still room for improvement.
"I'm enjoying my tennis right now, even if I'm not feeling on top of my
game," she said.
Meanwhile Russian Elena Vesnina put out Emma Laine 7-6 (7/0), 5-7, 6-3,
handing the Finn a second straight loss in the first round here after she lost
in 2005 to China's Peng.
The top four seeds, led by French No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo, Russian Bali winner
Svetlana Kuznetsova, fellow Russian Nadia Petrova and Vaidisova, received
first-round byes.
