The Asian Swing continues with the Premier Mandatory China Open in Beijing after Guangzhou, Seoul, Tokyo and Wuhan. The China Open is one of the four Premier Mandatory tournaments after Indan Wells, Miami and Madrid.
Despite the absence of Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Viktoria Azarenka, the star-studded field is impressive as it features world number 2 Simona Halep, last year’s finalist Petra Kvitova, this year’s US Open champion Flavia Pennetta, who is making her eagerly awaited return after her historic win at Flushing Meadows over her compatriot Roberta Vinci
Number six-seeded Ana Ivanovic cruised to a 6-4 6-0 win over Casey Dellacqua to get through to the second round of the China Open in Beijing. Ivanovic dropped her serve twice in the first three service games of the first set to trail 2-4 but she reeled off 10 consecutive games. Ivanovic broke serve in the 8th game to 15 en route to winning 8 of the next nine points to clinch the first set with 6-4. Ivanovic converted on her third break point chance for 2-0 as Dellacqua made a double fault and cruised to 6-0 in the second set.
Timea Bacsinszky fought back from a set down to beat Camila Giorgi 1-6 6-4 6-3. The Swiss player, number 12-seeded, has won her first match since Wimbledon last July. The Lausanne player lost in straight sets in the first round in her previous four tournaments. Giorgi raced out to 5-0 en route to winning the first set with 6-1 before going up a set and a break at the start of the second set. The Italian player led 4-2 in the second set but she did not convert a chance for 5-3 and dropped her serve for the first time in the match. Bacsinszky fired an ace to take the 5-4 lead and closed out the first set in the next game after a double fault and an unforced error from Giorgi. From 2-4 in the second set the Swiss player reeled off five consecutive games to win the second set 6-4 and build up a 1-0 lead in the third set when she saved two consecutive break points with her serve. Giorgi dropped her serve in the sixth game. She saved the first match point at 2-5 but Bacsinszky closed out the match in the next game.
Madison Keys broke Kristina Mladenovic five times to take a 7-5 6-2 win. The two players traded breaks until 5-5 before Keys got the decisive break in the 12th game for 7-5. This year’s Australian Open semifinalist converted on two break point chances to win the second set with 6-2
Chinese wild card Wang Quiang, World Number 110, overcame a second-set loss to edge Varvara Lepchenko 6-2 3-6 6-2. Wang broke at the start of the match but she dropped her serve in the next game. The Chinese player broke twice in the fifth and in the seventh games. After a trade of breaks in the second set Lepchenko broke in the ninth game to win the second set with 6-3 forcing the match to the third set. Wang broke serve in the second game before saving a break point. Wang held her net service games before earning two match points at 15-40 after a double fault from Lepchenko. Wang converted on the first opportunity to take the third set,
In the final qualifying round match Spain’s Lara Aruabarrena won an epic tie-break over Christina McHale with 13-11 in the third set after a battle of over three hours.
China Open preview:
Simona Halep won three titles in Shenzhen, Doha and Indian Wells and finished runner-up in Toronto and Cincinnati but she has not won a title since March. In the Asian Swing she was beaten by Denisa Allertova in Guangzhou and by Johanna Konta in Wuhan. She will face a tough draw as she could meet Alzé Cornet in teh second round, US Open finalist and Wuhan semifinalist Roberta Vinci. Halep is projected to face a potential quarter final in the first quarter against Wimbledon and Wuhan finalist Garbine Muguruza who was forced to withdraw from the final against Venus Williams in the Chinese tournament. Muguruza could face Daria Gavrilova in the second round and last week’s Tokyo finalist Belinda Bencic.
Last week’s Tokyo champion Agnieszka Radwanska could face Caroline Wozniacki in a potential quarter final between two former China Open finalists in the second quarter which also features Wuhan semifinalist Angelique Kerber. All the three stars involved in this section of the draw are top contenders for a spot for Singapore and this could add extra interest.
Radwanska could meet Mona Barthel and Madison Keys en route to the quarter finals. Wozniacki’s possible rivals are Wang Quiang in the second round and either Kerber or the winner of the match between Jelena Jankovic or Dominika Cibulkova
Flavia Pennetta will make her come-back to court after the post-US Open celebrations. The Italian will be searching points to qualify for the WTA Finals in Singapore in her farewell season. Pennetta could face Alexandra Dulgheru in the second round and Elina Svitolina in the third round. Possible rival in the quarter final could be Wuhan champion Venus Williams or Tokyo semifinalist Ana Ivanovic. The Serbian player could face a tough third round match against Karolina Pliskova.
In the fourth quarter Petra Kvitova could meet Carla Suarez Navarro in a potential quarter final. The Spanish player, who won her first match in Tokyo breaking a eight-match losing streak during the grass and the hard-court seasons, could face Timea Bacsinszky in the third round round
Kvitova will start her China Open campaign against Sara Errani but her section also features other tough rivals like Samantha Stosur and Andrea Petkovic
