Women’s China Open & Rakuten Japan Open: Monday’s Performances
Third seed Jelena Jankovic bundled out of the 2010 China Open Women’s competition after being defeated by Serbian tennis ace Bojana Jovanovski in the second round on Monday. Jelena lost Monday’s match in three sets with a final score of 6-4, 2-6 and 2-6.
However, she praised the game of her Fed Cup teammate by saying, “It was a tough game. My opponent played really well. She was very strong off the baseline and she really gave me a tough time. I think she is doing very well and she is improving. I am happy for her.
Last season’s finalist Angela Radwanska from Poland, also made an early departure, after being beaten at the hands of German player Angelique Kerber.
The unseeded German battled back on two occasions from 5-4 down to register a three setter win on Monday. The final match score was 5-7, 7-6 (7-3) and 7-5.
Vera Zvonareva from Russia was made to work hard for her victory over former top ranked tennis player Dinara Safina in the opening round in two sets on Monday. The final match score was 6-4 and 7-6 (8-6).
Zvonareva, the United States Open and Wimbledon Championship runners up, while commenting on Safina’s game said that she is a great contender and it was not easy to play at the top level against her.
Danish star player Caroline Wozniacki, who is currently ranked number two in the world, is the top seed in Beijing and is only two wins away from grabbing the top position in the WTA rankings.
In other action in Tokyo, the 2008 finalist Juan Martin Del Potro crashed out of the Rakuten Japan Open after Feliciano Lopez ousted him in two sets in Monday. The final match score was 6-3, 6-0. The clash concluded in a time period of eight two minutes in Tokyo.
"It is really hard to come back and play versus these contenders, particularly Feliciano on such a quick court," admitted Del Potro. "I need time; I need to work on a few things to get back to my best level. If I work in a good way, I will be in good shape in a month or so,” accepted the Argentinean on Monday.
Lopez smashed a total of eleven aces and prevented eleven of twelve break point chances to register his third straight victory over Potro, who came back to competitive tennis after an eight months break in Bangkok last week. Lopez, who captured the SA Tennis Open title at Johannesburg after getting the better of Robert earlier in February, improved to a match record of 25-19 on the year.
"When you are away for as long as Potro has been, it takes some time to get back to your top level, however I have no doubt that he will be one of the top contenders again soon. These surfaces really suit my game, they are very quick,” said Lopez on Monday.
Elsewhere, Dmitry Tursunov from Russia who has undergone three ankle surgeries did not even face a single break in a confidence boosting two setter victory over Ernests Gulbis from Latvia on Monday. The final match score was 6-3 and 6-4. The clash concluded in a time period of seventy four minutes. Gulbis made his way into the quarter finals of the Thailand Open where he was eventually defeated by Garcia-Lopez last week and thus dropped to a record of 29-17 for this season.
World number thirty seven Radek Stepanek also battled hard to clinch a three setter win over his Colombian foe Alejandro Falla on Monday. The final match score was 2-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(5). The Czech contender lost serve on four occasions as Alejandro edged his foe in the final tie-breaks to grab victory in two hours and forty nine minutes.
Tags: