Zheng seizes control to take out Uchijima in Tokyo
A DOMINANT purple patch when 5-4 down in the first set lit the flame of top seed Qinwen Zheng in Tokyo as the Chinese talent won the last nine games of the match against local hope Moyuka Uchijima to reach the Pan Pacific Open quarter finals. Uchijima took it up to Zheng early, was no […]
WTA Tour winners: Lamens storms to maiden title
DUTCH qualifier Suzan Lamens is officially a WTA Tour title winner after defeating fellow qualifier Kimberly Birrell in a comprehensive 72-minute rout at the Japan Open overnight. Lamens had a tournament to remember, with the world number 125 ending up favourite in the final despite being a qualifier, destroying Birrell 6-0 6-4. There was always […]
Around The Tour: All-Russian final set for Ningbo
THOUGH the Japan Open in Osaka got washed out, there was still plenty of semi-finals action taking place across both the WTA and ATP Tours overnight. The WTA 500 final contestants in Ningbo were determined, with an all-Russian duo scheduled for the decider in fifth seed Daria Kasatkina and unseeded teenager Mirra Andreeva winning their […]
Around the Tour: Upstaged in Antwerp; upsets galore
THERE was no shortage of upsets across multiple ATP and WTA Tour events overnight, but the major results came in Antwerp where three of the lower ranked players took out the top three seeds. In what was a dismantling day, number one seed Alex de Minaur, number two seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and number three seed […]
Around the Tour: Ito crafts third straight upset
ADMITTING she has not got “any power” and she is “skinny”, Japanese qualifier Aoi Ito has made a name for herself in Osaka. The 188th ranked Japanese hope knows where her strengths and weaknesses lie, and focuses on what she can do, rather than she cannot, leading her to a quarter finals appearance in the […]
Around the Tour: Mirra magic as Kenin curbed
IN THE wake of the respective WTA and ATP Tour 1000 events in Wuhan and Shanghai that were won by tournament top seeds Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner respectively, a lot of the lower ranked players headed to tournaments across the globe. In today’s Around the Tour, we take a look at the sole 500 […]
Experienced Erika wins battle of the Andreevas
DESPITE being ranked 51 spots lower in the world and only reaching the main draw of the Wuhan Open due to a lucky loser spot, Erika Andreeva crushed younger sister Mirra in the pair’s first ever professional match against one another. Three years her senior, Erika had won 33 of 57 matches coming into Wuhan, […]
Osaka cruises towards Coco in Beijing
TWO Grand Slam winners will face off in the fourth round of the China Open after former world number one Naomi Osaka raced through to the Round of 16 following a 6-3 6-2 triumph over American Katie Volynets. The Japanese star will now set her sights on Coco Gauff in what promises to be a […]
Best local hope breezes into Beijing third round
WORLD number seven Qinwen Zheng wasted no time asserting her authority on the second round match at her home WTA 1000 tournament, defeating Russian lucky loser Kamilla Rakhimova in an hour and 15 minutes, dropping just two games along the way. It was Zheng’s first career win at the event with plenty of support cheering […]
Brilliant Bia produces memorable title win
COMING back from a disappointing first set, Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia produced a Korea Open final to remember. The South American who is ranked 17th in the world was seeded three at the WTA Tour event in Seoul, and overcame an early challenge from top seeded Russian Daria Kasatkina to win 1-6 6-4 6-1. In […]
