News

Hsieh avoids jinx to make last eight

14-12-2016

Dubai: Chinese Taipei’s Su-Wei Hsieh chugged along as the only surviving seed and was joined by a wildcard in the quarter-final stages of the 19th Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge being played at the Habtoor Grand Resort Autograph Collection, on Wednesday.

Seeded No.5 in Dubai, Hsieh, who has two doubles Grand Slam titles, stopped qualifier Quirine Lemoine’s run in the main draw with a smooth 6-1, 6-4 win, while former world top-50 player Galina Voskoboeva became the only surviving wildcard with a lopsided 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win against Barbara Haas of Austria.

Five of the top eight seeds joined the opening day’s exit of two seeds to leave the 30-year-old Hsieh as the only survivor in the singles competition at the end of two days of the competition.

Hsieh, Chinese Taipei’s most successful tennis player, was unpertubed that she is the only seed left in the fray. “No pressure at all. I just go out and enjoy myself on court and see how far I can go,” she told Gulf News.

“I really want to win more and see how much I can push myself against some of the younger players,” she added as she braced for a quarter-finals against Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic on Thursday.

A steady singles player, Hsieh rose to a career high No.23 in February 2013. The same year she won the Wimbledon doubles and followed this up with the 2014 French Open doubles title along with her regular partner Peng Shuai of China.

However, Hsieh has spent more than six months out of tennis action following severe injuries to both her ankles earlier this year. “So to come here and win two matches against two quality players gives me a lot of confidence,” Hsieh disclosed.

“I am moving pretty well and I feel good out there. I want to really see how much more I can push myself,” she added.

Ivana Jorovic became the second Serbian to enter the last eight stages with a hard-fought 6-4, 6-3 win over 16-year-old 2016 French Open junior runner-up Olesya Prevushina of Russia. “It really doesn’t matter if she is a junior or not. I was just focused on fighting for each and every ball and playing my best,” Jorovic said.

“I am really looking forward to my quarter-finals against Mona [Barthel] as there will be a lot to learn from that one match,” she added.

Wild card Galina Voskoboeva also advanced to the quarters with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win over Haas, who had won in three sets against former world number seven, Patty Schynder late on Tuesday.

 

RESULTS

Day Three of the 19th Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge being played at the Habtoor Grand Resort Autograph Collection: Sabina Sharipova def. Nigina Abduraimova 6-4, 6-3; Ksenia Pervak def. Aleksandra Krunic 6-4, 7-6 (4); Lesley Kerkhove def. Tadeja Majeric 6-2, 6-2; Mona Barthel def. Nina Stojanovic 2-6, 6-1, 6-2; Su-wei Hsieh x Quirine Lemoine 6-1, 6-4; Ivana Jorovic def. Olesya Pervushina 6-4, 6-3; Galina Voskoboeva def. Barbara Hass 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

(Late match) Dalma Galfi x Natalia Vikhlyantseva

 

Order of Play for Thursday:

Court 3 (Start at 1 pm) Aleksandra Krunic vs Su-Wei Hsieh; (3 pm) Mona Barthel vs Ivana Jorovic; Dalma Galfi OR Natalia Vikhlyantseva vs Galina Voskoboeva.

Court 2: (Start at 1 pm) Lesley Kerkhove vs Sabina Sharipova; (3 pm) Su-Wei Hsieh/Valeria Savinykh vs Cindy Burger/Quirine Lemoine.

Court 1 (3 pm) Sabina Sharipova/Anastasiya Vasylyeva vs Natela Dzalamidze/Veronika Kudermetova.

Source : gulfnews.com

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