Last week’s Guangzhou finalist Jelena Jankovic upset this year’s Roland Garros champion and last year’s Wuhan finalist Garbine Muguruza 6-4 7-6 (7-2) to book her spot in the third round at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open. Jankovic got the first break of the match to love in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead with a couple of backhands and held her next three service games to seal the first set.
Jankovic saved two break points before dropping her serve for the first time in the 11th game to trail 5-6 but broke Muguruza straight back to force the second set to the tie-break. The Serbian player dominated the breaker 7.2 to book her spot in the third round.
The second set went on serve until the 11th game when Jankovic broke serve to 15 to take the 6-5 edge. Muguruza broke straight back to force the second set to the tie-break but Jankovic cruised it through 7-2. Despite today’s defeat Muguruza leads 3-2 against Jankovic in their five head-to-head matches. Jankovic will face Barbora Strykova in the third round.
Jankovic hit 13 winners to 17 unforced errors, while Muguruza had an even worse differential of -14 (42 unforced errors to 28 winners).
I felt like I was in control of the match, but the last shot was not there, I made too many mistakes against Jankovic, the type of girl which is very solid. Today I played too risky sometimes but I am happy the way I felt. I always like to have the match under control. I think I felt that today, even if I lost”, said Muguruza.
British player Johanna Konta defeated China’s Zhang Shuai 6-3 6-3 to advance to the third round. Konta will face Carla Suarez Navarro for a spot in the quarter finals. By reaching the top 8 the Briton would equal last’s year result at this tournament.
Konta went up a double break in the third and seventh games to open up a 5-2 lead. Zhang got one of the two breaks back in the eighth game but Konta broke for the third time to win the first set. The second set went on serve until the sixth game when Konta converted her second break point chance to take a 4-2 lead. Zhang broke straight back in the next game but Konta broke again to 30 to open up a 5-3 lead. The British player brought up two set points with two aces and sealed the win on her first chance.
Konta is on collision course to meet world number 1 and US Open champion Angelique Kerber, who came back from a set down to beat Kristina Mladenovic 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 6-4. In the third round the German will meet Petra Kvitova, who beat Elina Svitolina 6-3 6-1.
Konta is currently ranked 10th in the Road to Singapore behind Carla Suarez Navarro and Madison Keys, who are placed eighth and ninth and reached the Round of 16. Suarez Navarro is now 273 points ahead of Konta, as they clash in the third round. Konta would gain 85 points over her Spanish rival if she wins their next head-to-head match.
Last week’s Guangzhou finalist Jelena Jankovic got a break in each set to upset this year’s Roland Garros champion and last year’s Wuhan finalist Garbine Muguruza 6-4 7-6 (7-2) to book her spot in the third round at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open. Jankovic got the first break of the match to love in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead with a couple of backhands and held her next three service games to seal the first set.
Jankovic saved two break points before dropping her serve for the first time in the 11th game to trail 5-6 but broke Muguruza straight back to force the second set to the tie-break. The Serbian player dominated the breaker 7.2 to book her spot in the third round.
The second set went on serve until the 11th game when Jankovic broke serve to 15 to take the 6-5 edge. Muguruza broke straight back to force the second set to the tie-break but Jankovic cruised it through 7-2. Despite today’s defeat Muguruza leads 3-2 against Jankovic in their five head-to-head matches. Jankovic will face Barbora Strykova in the third round.
Jankovic hit 13 winners to 17 unforced errors, while Muguruza had an even worse differential of -14 (42 unforced errors to 28 winners).
I felt like I was in control of the match, but the last shot was not there, I made too many mistakes against Jankovic, the type of girl which is very solid. Today I played too risky sometimes but I am happy the way I felt. I always like to have the match under control. I think I felt that today, even if I lost”, said Muguruza.
British player Johanna Konta defeated China’s Zhang Shuai 6-3 6-3 to advance to the third round. Konta will face Carla Suarez Navarro for a spot in the quarter finals. By reaching the top 8 the Briton would equal last’s year result at this tournament.
Konta went up a double break in the third and seventh games to open up a 5-2 lead. Zhang got one of the two breaks back in the eighth game but Konta broke for the third time to win the first set. The second set went on serve until the sixth game when Konta converted her second break point chance to take a 4-2 lead. Zhang broke straight back in the next game but Konta broke again to 30 to open up a 5-3 lead. The British player brought up two set points with two aces and sealed the win on her first chance.
Konta is on collision course to meet world number 1 and US Open champion Angelique Kerber, who came back from a set down to beat Kristina Mladenovic 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 6-4. In the third round the German will meet Petra Kvitova, who beat Elina Svitolina 6-3 6-1.
Konta is currently ranked 10th in the Road to Singapore behind Carla Suarez Navarro and Madison Keys, who are placed eighth and ninth and reached the Round of 16. Suarez Navarro is now 273 points ahead of Konta, as they clash in the third round. Konta would gain 85 points over her Spanish rival if she wins their next head-to-head match.
Konta will have to go deep in Wuhan to keep her hopes alive to become the first British player since Virginia Wade to qualify for the end-of-season WTA finals.
Venus Williams broke serve seven times in her 6-3 6-2 win over Yulia Putintseva. Venus got two consecutive breaks in the fifth and seventh games to race out to a 5-2 lead. Putintseva earned two break points in the eighth game and converted her second chance with an ace to get one break back but Williams broke for the third time in the set at deuce to close out the opening set. Both players traded breaks in the second and third games of the second set. Williams broke twice in the fourth and sixth games to open up a 5-1 lead. Putintseva got one of the two breaks back to 15 in the seventh game but Williams broke for the fourth game to seal the second set.
Williams set up a third round match against Svetlana Kuznetsova, who beat Madison Brengle 6-0 6-4. Williams won last year’s edition of the Wuhan tournament to return to the top-10.
“I haven’t played for three weeks. When you have a lot of experience, the first match, you never feel like guns ready to go as you might feel in the finals. At least you know what you are doing well, what you need to improve. You are ready to do it. ”, said Venus Williams.
