Tennis News

GUANGZHOU, China – 18-year-old Ana Konjuh romped past Jennifer Brady in straight sets to book a semifinal clash with defending champion Jelena Jankovic at the Guangzhou International Women’s Open.

The Croat opened her quarterfinal match with an emphatic break to love, and served powerfully to hit five aces and win 90 percent of points behind her first serve.

She didn’t face a break point until the final game of the first set, when Brady mounted a late resistance and brought up five chances. But the teen batted away her chances and served out the set. She earned a second break late in the final set to advance to her WTA-level semifinal of the year, 6-4, 7-5.

With the victory, the youngest player left in the tournament will take on the oldest player in the draw, as Konjuh books a semifinal clash with defending champion and WTA veteran Jankovic.

“I know her pretty well and I know she’s a young player who is playing very well in this moment,” Jankovic said. “We player earlier in the year on grass, in Mallorca, and I was able to win that match. But every match is a new match and I just hope I can come out tomorrow and play some good tennis and hopefully I can make it to another final. This is my goal.”

The No.2 seeded Serb faced a tight first set against Sabine Lisicki in her quarterfinal – the German was two points away from taking the first set while Jankovic was serving at 5-4. But Jankovic rallied to take the set in a tiebreak.She took the decisive break late in the second set to advance 7-6(4), 6-4.

“I think it as a good match overall – we were both fighting for every point,” Jankovic said. “That first set was very close, just a few points’ difference. I was able to stay strong and fight hard, and I think that fighting spirit was the difference.”

“I pushed myself a little bit more when the times got really tough out there. I’m very happy I was able to win against Lisicki, because she was playing a very high level tennis.”

Also through to the semifinals are Lesia Tsurenko and Anett Kontaveit. Tsurenko came back from a set done to out the No.5 seed Alison Riske 3-6, 6-4, 6-0, while Kontaveit downed Viktorija Golubic 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

SEOUL, South Korea – No.5 seed Monica Niculescu was the only seeded player to advance on Day 6 at the Korea Open Tennis after a spate of upsets saw defending champion Irina-Camelia Begu, Kirsten Flipkens and Kristina Mladenovic bow out in the second round.

Niculescu faced off against Anna-Karolina Schmiedlova for a spot into the Seoul quarterfinals. The Romanian had little trouble seeing off Schmiedlova, breaking her serve three times in each set to advance in an emphatic 6-2, 6-2 victory in just over an hour and a half.

But the rest of the field wasn’t so lucky, and chaos reigned after Niculescu left the court at the Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Center.

Patricia Maria Tig dodged all of Kirsten Flipkens’ Seoul-ful hot shots on her way to a 6-4, 6-4 upset over the No.6 seed. She books a quarterfinal clash with Sara Sorribes Tormo, who came back from a set down to upset No.4 seed Kristina Mladenovic 1-6, 6-2, 6-4.

The day of surprises ended with the biggest shock of the day, as the No.102 ranked Jana Cepelova ousted the defending champion and top seed Irina-Camelia Begu, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

GUANGZHOU, China – 23-year-old Swiss Viktorija Golubic is into the quarterfinals at the Guangzhou International Women’s Open after coming back from a set down to upset top seed Sara Errani, 6-7(7), 6-3 6-4.

Aside from reaching her fourth quarterfinal this year in what has become her breakthrough season, Golubic has also avenged her Bastad loss to Errani, where she lost to the Italian after taking her to a first-set tiebreaker.

“I’m very, very tired, it was such an exhausting match,” Golubic said. “We played each other on clay this year, and that was also very tough so I was prepared for that.”

“But still in the end I had to put all the energy together to come through, and I am very happy.”

Golubic held a 5-3 lead in the first set, as well as five set points in the tiebreak during a tight opening set. Errani fought off Golubic’s chances with her tricky forehand slices and dogged defense, roaring back from 2-6 down in the tiebreak to take the first set. Golubic stayed aggressive, and took advantage of Errani’s vulnerable serve to create more chances, outlasting the Italian after a three-hour marathon to advance to the quarterfinals.

“Sara is a very tricky player – she makes you think and she gives you the balls back, a very tough player,” Golubic said. “I was doing many good points, but I also missed a lot.”

“I tried to find the balance between aggressiveness and consistency, and it was hard work to do.”

Sabine Lisicki is also through to the quarterfinals after a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Chinese wildcard Peng Shuai.

Despite the match being a mostly one-sided affair during the hour-and-six-minute encounter, Lisicki admitted it was difficult to take on her good friend.

“It’s always so tough to play a friend,” Lisicki said in post-match press. “Shuai and I have played doubles together a few times, so we know each other quite well.”

“I thought I played very well. I knew that I had to play well and strong to beat her. I’m very happy with my game, but also wish her the best in her comeback.”

Joining Golubic and Lisicki in the quarterfinals at the Guangzhou International Women’s Open is No.3 seed Ana Konjuh, who weathered a late challenge from Georgian qualifier Sofia Shapatava to advance 6-1, 7-6(2).

“I’ve never played her before but I know her from Fed Cup, so I’ve seen her playing,” Konjuh said of her opponent. “I just had a tactic and just focused on myself more.

“In the second set she came back and fought for every point, so it was a bit harder.”

No.2 seed Jelena Jankovic also advanced in Guangzhou after Rebecca Peterson was forced to retire with a right thigh injury after trailing 6-1, 1-0.