Related News
Muguruza falls short in Tokyo
Print Edition
DEFENDING champion Agnieszka Radwanska defeated Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig easily to set up a semifinal showdown with Caroline Wozniacki at the Pan Pacific Open yesterday.
Meanwhile, top-seeded Garbine Muguruza crashed out, meaning today’s second semi will be between Japanese wildcard Naomi Osaka and the Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.
Second-seeded Radwanska hit eight aces in overpowering the Puerto Rican 6-2, 6-3.
“At this level, you have to play well to win by that kind of score,” said the Pole, who also won in Tokyo in 2011.
“I knew Monica was in great form, winning the gold, but you just have to go on court and play your game. I was serving great and that helped me a lot.”
Over nine years, Wozniacki has an 8-4 record against Radwanska, and won their last three matchups.
“We’ve played so many matches everywhere on every surface, it’s always a great challenge against her.,” Radwanska said. “For me, she’s still a top-10 player, even though her ranking dropped a bit. Hopefully, I can serve just as well against her.”
Wozniacki, ranked 28, appears back near her best after ankle, knee, and bicep injuries; she reached the US Open semifinals and continued that form.
She beat Polish qualifier Magda Linette 6-4, 6-3. Wozniacki won 79 percent of points on her first serve, including 90 percent in the first set.
“I enjoyed the rallies, being able to get into a rhythm, and having a good time — it’s obviously more fun when you’re winning,” Wozniacki said.
Osaka came from 0-5 down in the second set against Belarus qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich to seal a 6-3, 7-6 (6) win and reach a first WTA semifinal.
The Haitian-Japanese overcame a bout of teen tantrums, twice smashing her racquet down, and ease off her big serve, to retrieve the second set.
Svitolina took the opening five games on the way to winning a two-hour fight against French Open champion Muguruza, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.
“I don’t think she missed a ball in that first set, and after that she was very comfortable,” Muguruza said. “I was really impressed with her movement, she covered everything.”
In Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, defending champion Jelena Jankovic will have another shot at the title after defeating Ana Konjuh of Croatia 7-5, 7-6 (7) in the Guangzhou Open semifinals yesterday.
The second-seeded Serb has yet to drop a set this week.
Jankovic will take on Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko, who was into her first final since her maiden title in Istanbul in July last year.
Tsurenko defeated Anett Kontaveit of Estonia 6-4, 6-2 in the other semifinal.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
