Peng Shuai; A look at the Asian Games gold medalist in 2010
Born on January 8, 1986 in the city of Hunan, Peng Shuai is a professional tennis player from China. Currently ranked number seventy one in the South African Airways WTA list, Peng rose to prominence after winning gold at the singles event in the Asian Games,
beating Akgul Ammanmuradova from Uzbekistan in two sets. The final match score was 7-5, 6-2.
Peng started her 2010 campaign with an opening round exit at the 2010 Brisbane International where she was bundled out by Agnes Szavay in three sets. The score line was 5–7, 6–4, 6–2. At the 2010 Moorilla Hobart International, the professional tennis player
from China got the better of Sorana Cirstea in the opening round in straight sets. In the second round, the right hander however was toppled by her compatriot fellow Zheng Jie with a score line of 6–2, 6–1.
At the year’s opening Grand Slam, the Australian Open in Melbourne, Peng couldn’t win his first round as she was once again drawn against Zheng Jie who ousted her in two sets. The final match score was 1–6, 2–6.
The 24-year-old next played at the 2010 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells where the Chinese overpowered Ekaterina Makarova in the first round. The final match score was 6–1, 2–6, 6–4. In her next clash, she beat 20th seed Alyona Bondarenko in straight
sets before losing at the hands of Nadia Petrova in her third round match. The final match score was 1–6, 5–7.
Peng, who made her debut on the WTA tour back in 2001, next played at the 2010 Family Circle Cup, held in Charleston. She outlasted Shenay Perry in the first round, followed by her second round win over Marion Bartoli who retired at 6–2, 6–7(2), 3–4 due
to injury. Peng made her way into the quarters after getting the better of tenth seed Elena Vesnina in three sets. The final match score was 7–5, 2–6, 6–2. In the final eight round, she was thrashed out by the fourth seed Samantha Stosur of Australia in two
sets. The final match score was 6–4, 6–1.
The Tianjin resident withdrew from the year’s second major event, the French Open and afterwards skipped the whole of the grass court circuit as a result of illness.
After making a comeback on the tour, Peng reached the third round at the United States Open, beating wild card entrant Shelby Rogers in three sets in the first and Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round. In the round three, the Chinese however pulled out
of the competition prior to the match due to injury.
She next suffered two opening round exits at the 2010 Toray Pan Pacific Open and the China Open. In Tokyo, Peng was toppled by Christina McHale in the opening round of qualifying 6–3, 6–2. In the first round of Beijing on the other hand, the Chinese was
hammered down by Sara Errani in three sets. The final match score was 1–6, 6–4, 6–1. This defeat also dropped her ranking down to number ninety five in the world.
Unseeded at the BGL Luxembourg Open, the 1.73 meters tall put up a great fight before losing at the hands of top seed and then world number nine Elena Dementieva of Russia in the opening round. She was up at 5-1 in the second set before Elena bounced back
and clinched a 7–5, 7–6(3) victory in the end. This was her final WTA tour clash of the 2010 year.
The Chinese ace, finished her year by representing her country at the sixteenth edition of the Asian Games, held in Guangzhou. She picked up gold medal in the team event along with her team members, Li Na, Zhang Shuai and Yan Zi. In the doubles event, Peng
won a Bronze medal along with her partner Zi Yan whereas in the singles, the former world number 31 grabbed gold after getting the better of Akgul Ammanmuradova in straight sets to end the season on a high note.
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