Wozniacki wobbles on way to China Open Rd 2
Caroline Wozniacki had a fright against a local favourite in the China Open first round on Sunday before she composed herself to go through 6-1, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1.
The Dane, ranked six in the world, made an early exit from the Wuhan Open last week, stunned by Maria Sakkari of Greece.
She appeared determined to put that disappointment behind her in making a lightning-fast start in Beijing, punishing China’s Wang Qiang in the first set.
But if the fifth seed thought she was going to have it easy, she was mistaken, as the 55thranked Wang harnessed the support of the crowd to fight back.
25-year-old Wang sprang a surprise in taking the second set on the tie break to level the match.
But former number one Wozniacki, the 2010 China Open champion, regained her poise to seal the deciding set with ease.
The 27-year-old faces Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in round two.
Also through is reigning China Open champion Agnieszka Radwanska, who defeated the German qualifier Carina Witthoeft 7-5, 6-3.
MARIA SHARAPOVA DIGS DEEP
Maria Sharapova got her revenge over Latvian 16th seed Anastasija Sevastova with a gutsy 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 7-6 (9/7) victory in the first round.
It was the five-time Grand Slam winner’s first appearance since she was beaten by Sevastova at the US Open in early September and gets her stop-start return from a doping ban back on track.
Sharapova, once number one but now ranked a lowly 104 in the world, is a wildcard in Beijing as she works her way back slowly from a 15-month ban for taking the banned substance meldonium.
She was far from her best, making a series of unforced errors, but Sharapova dug in and saved match point during an attritional encounter lasting more than three hours in the Chinese capital.
‘DJOKOVIC WILL BENEFIT FROM BREAK’
BEIJING:
Novak Djokovic is recovering from a “significant” elbow injury and is keen to get back on the tour again, the 12-time Grand Slam champion’s new physiotherapist Ulises Badio has said.
“Novak had a significant injury and we are bringing it under control,” Badio told Argentine daily La Nacion.
“Time was required to improve it.”
BELGRADE: