Second WTA title for Qiang Wang

Latest results from the WTA Tour

WTA Guangzhou final 

• Qiang Wang (3) defeated Yulia Putintseva (5) to capture the Guangzhou International Women’s Open, her second career WTA title, both coming in 2018, and both in China.

Unbroken throughout the match, Qiang Wang hit 25 winners in her 6-1 6-2 victory, which completed a tournament without dropping a set.

In fact only 18 games were conceded by the champion all week, the fewest by any winner of a WTA title winner this year.

Qiang Wang now sits at 34 in the world rankings, a new career high, previously 41, becoming the new Chinese number one.

WTA Tokyo semi finals

• Naomi Osaka (3), 2018 US Open champion, celebrated her newly found status in her in front of a Japanese crowd, powering into the final of the Toray Pan Pacific Open, defeating Camila Giorgi.

The Osaka serve was virtually impenetrable in the opening set, where only two points were conceded to Giorgi from eighteen available.

Never facing a break point in the entire match, Osaka was leading 6-2 2-2, before deciding to finish off Giorgi’s more competitive set two display with a final streak of four games.

6-2 6-3 earned a meeting with Karolina Pliskova (4) in the finale.

• Pliskova paid farewell to Donna Vekic, but it took three sets to do it, the third such requirement in as many matches for the Czech number two player.

After taking the first set easily, Pliskova found her second serve massacred in set two, and subsequently she was broken three times, thus requiring the decider.

Karolina gathered her game together from the pieces she had scattered all over the place, and won the key points in a closely contested third set to reach only her second final this year - she won in Stuttgart in April. 

WTA Seoul semi finals

• Ajla Tomljanovic defeated Su-Wei Hsieh (6) 6-4 5-7 6-4

This is the third WTA final for Ajla, the second since gaining Australian citizenship, and both this year. (Morocco the first in May, losing to Mertens)

• Kiki Bertens (2) defeated Maria Sakkari (3) 6-4 6-2 and will play Ajla Tomljanovic in the final, her fourth for 2018, having won twice, in Charleston (April) and Cincinnati (August)

Thiem taken to brink by Medvedev in Metz

ATP St. Petersburg quarter finals 

• Wildcard Roberto Bautista Agut (5) defeated Marco Cecchinato (3) 7-6(0) 6-3

Roberto will be bidding for his fourth final in 2018, following titles early in Auckland and Dubai, and a loss more recently in Switzerland to Berrettini.

• Wildcard Stan Wawrinka defeated Damir Dzumhur (6) 6-3 6-4.

This puts Stan into only his second semi final for 2018, the other in Bulgaria in February.  Until August in Cincinnati, Stan hadn’t won three successive matches in a tournament all year.  Now he has done it twice.

• After knocking out second seed Fognini, Martin Klizan continued his liking for seed killing with his defeat of Denis Shapovalov (7) 3-6 7-5 6-3

Klizan came back from a set down and trailing 3-5 in the second.  He will play Stan Wawrinka in the semis, continuing his search for a second title in 2018 and seventh in his career.

• Dominic Thiem (1) defeated Daniil Medvedev (8) and will play Roberto Bautista Agut in the semis.

Medvedev looked well out of the contest after the opening set, in which his Austrian opponent won 87% of points on first serve compared with 54%.  Thiem gathered six break chances and used two to his advantage, whereas the one opportunity for the Russian was squashed.

Medvedev rallied well in set two, though, setting the pace, serving first and maintaining scoreboard pressure.  He cracked the Thiem serve with the only break point he could conjure, and the top seed was unable to convert any of his five chances. A set all.

In the decider, the pair exchanged a service break apiece, before the eagerly awaited tie break disappointed the Russian crowd, Thiem racing to 6-1 and five match points.

He won the match on the second of these 6-2 3-6 7-6(2)

Thiem, if he wins his semi, will be featuring in his fifth final of 2018, his record so far 2-2, one of those defeats being to Nadal at Roland Garros.

ATP Metz quarter finals

• Gilles Simon defeated Richard Gasquet (4) 7-6(4) 6-2, breaking an eight match streak of losing to his French compatriot.

Winning his semi final would put Simon into a third final for 2018, having won the Pune, India title in January, and finished runner-up in Lyon in May.

• Radu Albot defeated Ricardas Berankis 7-6(4) 6-4, and will play Gilles Simon in an unseeded semi final
• Kei Nishikori (1) survived a scare before defeating Nikoloz Basilashvili (5) 6-3 4-6 6-4
• Qualifier Matthias Bachinger defeated lucky loser Yannick Maden 6-3 2-6 6-4, and will play Kei Nishikori in the semis

Ostapenko exits China, Vekic loving Tokyo

Top seed in Seoul, Jelena Ostapenko, followed the lead of top seed Caroline Wozniacki in Tokyo, by losing in the second round.

It was Ekaterina Alexandrova, from Russia, ranked 122, who did the damage. Ekaterina had previously won 7 ITF titles and 1 WTA title, the latter in Limoges, France in November 2016.

There she defeated Alizé Cornet and Caroline Garcia, seeded 2 and 1 in the semis and final respectively.

However, the Ostapenko win, 6-3 6-2, was her first over a top ten player.

The quarter final opponent for Alexandrova would be Su-Wei Hsieh (6).

Seoul quarter finals

• Ajla Tomljanovic defeated Mandy Minella 6-2 4-6 7-5
• Kiki Bertens (2) defeated Evgeniya Rodina 3-6 6-3 6-0
• Maria Sakkari (3) defeated Irina-Camelia Begu (7) 6-3 4-6 6-4, and will play Kiki Bertens in the semis
• Su-Wei Hsieh (6) put Ekaterina Alexandrova’s dream run to an end, winning 6-0 6-1 in only 50 minutes, and will play Ajla Tomljanovic in the semis

Tokyo quarter finals 

• Camila Giorgi defeated wildcard Vika Azarenka 5-3 (retired)
• Naomi Osaka (3) defeated Barbora Strycova (8) 6-3 6-4, and will play Camila Giorgi in the semis
• Karolina Pliskova (4) took two and a half hours to overcome qualifier Alison Riske 6-2 6-7(5) 7-6(4)
• Donna Vekic defeated Caroline Garcia (2) 6-3 6-4, her second top ten victim for the week - she will play her third top ten opponent, Karolina Pliskova, in the semis

If Donna wins her semi, she will move into her second final of 2018, the other in Washington in August where she fell at the last hurdle to Sveta Kuznetsova.  She will also at least equal a career high ranking. If Donna wins the Tokyo title, and that is clearly a monumental task, she will achieve the biggest moment of her career.

Guangzhou semi finals

• Yuliya Putintseva (5) defeated Bernarda Pera 6-1 6-4
• Qiang Wang (3) defeated Andrea Petkovic 6-2 6-2, and will play Yulia Putintseva in the final

This will be the second WTA final for Putintseva, having lost in St. Petersburg in February last year 

For Qiang Wang, it will also be WTA final number two, with a title win in Nanchang just this past July.

Giorgi sends Wozniacki out of Tokyo

All the quarter finals in Asia and Europe are set with two exceptions - in Seoul, Jelena Ostapenko (1) still has to play her second round match against Ekaterina Alexandrova.  In Metz, Nikoloz Basilashvili (5) needs to  play his second round match against wildcard Ugo Humbert.

In Guangzhou, the quarter finals have been played.

WTA.Tokyo

Second round

• Camila Giorgi defeated wildcard Caroline Wozniacki (1)

Giorgi hit 16 winners in the opening set, where she started with a bang, breaking twice in the first five games.  Facing no break points on her own serve, the Italian crashed through Wozniacki once more to lead 6-2.

Wozniacki, in her first March since the disappointment of losing in the second round of the US Open, fought back in set two,  saving all nine break points, but managing to crack the Giorgi serve twice.

The match was level 2-6 6-4.

Wozniacki appeared to be on the track to victory when ahead 2-0 in the decider, but Giorgi regained her poise, using her attacking game to break back in game three, and repeat the job in the key seventh game.

The upset was complete, Camila Giorgi winning 2-6 6-2 6-4.

45 winners more than compensated for 29 unforced errors in a fine performance that put Camila into the quarter finals.

• Wildcard Vika Azarenka defeated Ash Barty (7) 6-4 6-2, her first victory over a top twenty player in six months, and will play Camila Giorgi in the quarter finals.
• Barbora Strycova (8) defeated Anett Kontaveit 7-6(5) 3-6 7-5, and will play Naomi Osaka in the quarter finals 
• Donna Vekic defeated Johanna Konta 6-3 7-5, and will play Caroline Garcia in the quarter finals 

The Toray Pan Pacific Open has now lost four seeds before the quarters, including three major winners of the past two years - Muguruza, Stephens and Wozniacki 

WTA Guangzhou 

Quarter finals

• Yulia Putintseva (5) defeated Kateryna Kozlova 6-4 6-1
• Bernarda Pera defeated Aleksandra Krunic (4) 4-6 6-3 6-4, and will play Yulia Putintseva in the semis 
• Qiang Wang (3) defeated Fiona Ferro 6-4 6-0
• Andrea Petkovic defeated Vera Lapko (7) 6-2 7-6(2), and will play Qiang Wang in the semis

WTA Seoul 

Second round 

• Mandy Minella defeated qualifier Priscilla Hon 6-4 6-3, and will play Ajla Tomljanovic in the quarter finals 
• Irina-Camelia Begu (7) defeated Aga Radwanska 6-4 6-3, and will play Maria Sakkari in the quarter finals 
• Kiki Bertens (2) defeated Dalila Jakupovic 6-4 7-5, and will play Evgeniya Rodina in the quarter finals 

ATP St. Petersburg 

Second round 

All matches played were won by the seeded players

• Dominic Thiem (1) defeated Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6(4) 6-4
• Daniil Medvedev (8) defeated Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3 6-4, and he will play Dominic Thiem in the quarter finals 
• Marco Cecchinato (3) defeated Lukas Lacko 7-5 7-6(6)
• Wildcard Roberto Bautista Agut (5) defeated wildcard Mikhail Youzhny 7-6(6) 3-6 6-3, and will play Marco Cecchinato in the quarter finals 
• Damir Dzumhur (6) defeated Guido Pella 6-4 6-4, and will play Stan Wawrinka in the quarter finals 
• Denis Shapovalov (7) defeated Matteo Berrettini 7-6(6) 4-6 6-0, and will play Martin Klizan in the quarter finals 

ATP Metz

Second round 

• Qualifier Matthias Bachinger defeated lucky loser Gregoire Barrere 6-0 6-3.  Barrere had made it into the second round due to replacing late withdrawal third seed Lucas Pouille in the draw, and Pouille had been granted a first round bye.
• Lucky loser Yannick Maden defeated Benoit Paire 6-4 3-6 6-3, and he will play Matthias Bachinger in the quarter finals 
• Gilles Simon defeated Filip Krajinovic (7) 4-6 7-5 7-5, and he will play fellow Frenchman and long time rival Richard Gasquet in the quarter finals.
• Radu Albot defeated Marton Fucsovics 6-3 6-2
• Ricardas Berankis defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas (2) 6-7(5) 7-6(6) 6-3, and he will play Radu Albot in the quarter finals

Ka.Pliskova avenges sisters loss to Gavrilova

In St. Petersburg, the first round was completed, plus taste of round two, with the following:

First round

• Mikhail Kukushkin defeated Denis Istomin 7-5 2-4 (retired)
• Wildcard Roberto Bautista Agut (5) defeated qualifier Luca Vanni 7-5 6-2
• Guido Pella defeated qualifier Ilya Ivashka 4-6 6-3 6-4
• Denis Shapovalov (7) defeated qualifier Adrian Menendez-Maceiras 7-6(3) 6-2
• Wildcard Mikhail Youzhny defeated Mirza Basic 7-6(6) 6-4

Second round

• Wildcard Stan Wawrinka defeated Karen Khachanov (4) 7-6(10) 7-6(1) 
• Martin Klizan defeated Fabio Fognini (2) 6-3 6-4

In Metz, the first round was also finalised, with a few second round matches decided:

First round

• Benoit Paire defeated wildcard Quentin Halys 7-6(4) 6-2
• Filip Krajinovic (7) defeated wildcard Corentin Moutet 6-1 6-1
• Marton Fucsovics defeated Adrian Mannarino (6) 6-3 6-2
• Gilles Simon defeated Jiri Vesely 7-5 6-3

Second round 

• Kei Nishikori (1) defeated Peter Gojowczyk 7-6(4) 6-3
• Richard Gasquet defeated qualifier Constant Lestienne 6-4 6-2

WTA

Tokyo

Second round

• Dasha Gavrilova faced Karolina Pliskova (4), having beaten her sister Kristyna in the first round.  Karolina, looked set to avenge that result as she jumped to a 4-1 opening set lead

However, Dasha reversed the trend dramatically, winning the next six games to take a 6-4 1-0 advantage.

Pliskova increased the points won on her serve from a paltry 41% in set one to 74% in set two, and achieved the only service break, while facing no break points herself.  It was enough to level the match at 4-6 6-4.

In another momentum switch, Gavrilova grabbed the initiative in the third set decider, leading 4-1.

Pliskova did as her opponent had in set one, running through the next five games to escape 4-6 6-4 6-4 and reach the quarter finals.

• Naomi Osaka (3), in her first outing since the US Open triumph, smashed Dominika Cibulková 6-2 6-1, hitting 25 winners
• Qualifier Alison Riske upset Garbiñe Muguruza (6), to continue the wretched year for the Spanish number one.  Riske will play Karolina Pliskova in the quarter finals
• Caroline Garcia (2) defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4 2-6 7-5. Garcia was down a break in every set, but came back, even saving three match points in the decider, and won the final four games to make the quarter finals

Guangzhou 

Second round

• Kateryna Kozlova receivable walkover from Jennifer Brady 
• Yulia Putintseva (5) defeated Sabine Lisicki 6-3 6-3, and will play Kateryna Kozlova in the quarter finals 
• Aleksandra Krunic (4) defeated Christina McHale 6-3 6-3
• Bernarda Pera defeated Viktoria Kuzmova (6) 6-2 6-3, and will play Aleksandra Krunic in the quarter finals
• Fiona Ferro defeated SaiSai Zheng (8) 0-6 6-3 6-2
• Qiang Wang (3) defeated wildcard Sveta Kuznetsova 6-2 6-2, and will play Fiona Ferro in the quarter finals 
• Vera Lapko (7) defeated qualifier Deniz Khazaniuk 6-2 7-5
• Andrea Petkovic defeated Yafan Wang 6-4 7-6(5), and will play Vera Lapko in the quarter finals 

Seoul 

First round

• Jelena Ostapenko (1) defeated Lara Arruabarrena 6-3 6-3
• Kiki Bertens (2) defeated Luksika Kumkhum 7-6(7) 6-2

Second round

• Su-Wei Hsieh (6) defeated Stefanie Voegele 6-2 6-1
• Ajla Tomljanovic defeated Tamara Zidansek 2-6 6-1 6-3
• Maria Sakkari (3) defeated Margarita Gasparyan 6-2 6-2
• Evgeniya Rodina defeated Kirsten Flipkens (8) 6-4 4-6 7-5

Korea, St. Petersburg, Metz

WTA

Seoul 

Jelena Ostapenko is the top seed, world ranked #10, and all 8 seeds are in the top 60.

First round results:

• Stefanie Voegele defeated wildcard Ji-Hee Choi 6-3 2-6 6-4
• Tamara Zidansek defeated Polona Hercog 6-1 6-3
• Maria Sakkari (3) defeated Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-0 6-1
• Ekaterina Alexandrova defeated Johanna Larsson 6-1 6-2
• Su-Wei Hsieh (6) defeated qualifier Jil Teichmann 2-6 6-1 7-6(0)
• Mandy Minella defeated Magdalena Rybarikova (4) 6-3 3-2 (retired)
• Qualifier Priscilla Hon defeated wildcard Su Jeong Jang 3-6 6-2 6-2
• Ajla Tomljanovic defeated Alison Van Uytvanck (5) 3-6 7-5 7-5
• Irina-Camelia Begu (7) defeated qualifier Mona Barthel 7-5 6-4
• Aga Radwanska defeated Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4 7-5
• Margarita Gasparyan defeated qualifier Varvara Flink 7-5 6-4
• Kirsten Flipkens (8) defeated 16 year old Korean wildcard Sohyun Park 6-0 6-2.
• Evgeniya Rodina defeated qualifier Dejana Radanovic 6-1 6-1
• Dalila Jakupovic defeated qualifier Na-Lae Han 3-6 6-4 6-3

ATP

St. Petersburg 

Dominic Thiem is the top seed, world ranked #8, and the eight seeds are all in the top 40.

The top four seeds have first round byes.

First round results:

• Wildcard Stan Wawrinka defeated Aljaz Bedene 7-5 7-6(5)
• Martin Klizan defeated Evgeny Donskoy 6-4 6-4
• Jan-Lennard Struff defeated Andrey Rublev 6-4 7-6(6)
• Daniil Medvedev (8) defeated Joao Sousa 6-4 6-1
• Lukas Lacko defeated lucky loser Ruben Bemelmans 6-2 4-6 7-5
• Damir Dzumhur (6) defeated qualifier Lucas Miedler 7-5 6-3
• Matteo Berrettini defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-6(5) 2-6 6-3

Metz

Kei Nishikori is the top seed, world ranked #12, and the seven seeds are all in the top 40.

Eighth seed Philipp Kohlschreiber was a late withdrawal,and his place in the draw was taken by lucky loser Yannick Maden.

The top four seeds have first round byes.

First round results:

• Lucky loser Yannick Maden defeated Mischa Zverev 7-5 4-6 6-1
• Ricardas Berankis defeated Maximilian Marterer 7-6(1) 6-7(1) 6-4
• Peter Gojowczyk defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4
• Wildcard Ugo Humbert defeated qualifier Bernard Tomic 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4
• Nikoloz Basilashvili (5) defeated Kenny De Schepper 6-2 7-6(0)
• Qualifier Matthias Bachinger defeated Jaume Munar 6-4 6-4
• Qualifier Constant Lestienne defeated Jurgen Zopp 6-3 7-5
• Radu Albot defeated Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-3 6-4

WTA in Asia, ATP in Europe

Lots of tennis this week on both the ATP and WTA Tours, Europe and Asia respectively.

WTA 

• the Toray Pan Pacific Open, in Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan, on Hard Green, Set (Premier Category)
• the Guangzhou International Women’s Open, in Guangzhou, China, on Hard, Toplus SPA (International Category)
• the KEB Hana Bank Korea Open, in Seoul, Korea, on Hard, DecoTurf (International Category)

ATP 

• the St. Petersburg Open, in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Hard, Rebound Ace (ATP 250 Category)
• the Moselle Open, in Metz, France, on Hard, Slamcourt (ATP 250 Category)

WTA

Tokyo

Caroline Wozniacki is the top seed, world ranked #2, and the top five seeds are in the top 10.

The top four seeds have first round byes

First round results:

• Camila Giorgi defeated qualifier Misaki Doi 6-2 6-1
• Dominika Cibulková defeated qualifier Nao Hibino 6-1 5-7 6-3
• Anett Kontaveit defeated Kiki Mladenovic 6-3 7-6(5)
• Garbiñe Muguruza (6) defeated Belinda Bencic 6-2 6-4
• Dasha Gavrilova defeated wildcard Kristyna Pliskova 7-6(2) 3-6 7-6(8)
• Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-3 6-4
• Wildcard Vika Azarenka defeated fellow wildcard Kurumi Nara 6-4 7-5
• Ash Barty (7) defeated CoCo Vandeweghe 4-6 6-3 7-5
• Barbora Strycova (8) defeated qualifier Zarina Diyas 6-4 6-4
• Qualifier Alison Riske defeated fellow qualifier Eugenie Bouchard 6-4 6-4
• Donna Vekic defeated Sloane Stephens (5) 6-4 6-4
• Johanna Konta defeated qualifier Gabriela Dabrowski 6-2 6-0

Guangzhou 

Alizé Cornet is the top seed, world ranked #34, and all seeds are in the top 70.

Second seed, Shuai Zhang, was a late withdrawal, and her place in the draw was taken by lucky loser Lin Zhu.

First round results:

• Sabine Lisicki defeated wildcard Vera Zvonareva 6-4 6-2
• Yulia Putintseva (5) defeated Sorribes Tormo 6-1 6-1
• Bernarda Pera defeated Magdalena Frech 7-6(3) 6-1
• Fiona Ferro defeated wildcard Xiyu Wang 6-3 6-3
• Vera Lapko (7) defeated Vania King 6-2 6-1
• Jennifer Brady defeated Alizé Cornet (1) 6-0 6-3
• Kateryna Kozlova defeated qualifier Jia-Jing Lu 6-0 7-6(4)
• Aleksandra Krunic (4) defeated Viktorija Golubic 6-4 6-3
• Christina McHale defeated Ana Bogdan 4-6 6-3 3-1 (retired)
• Viktoria Kuzmova defeated qualifier Ivana Jorovic 6-2 6-3
• Saisai Zheng (8) defeated qualifier Hanyu Guo 6-4 6-2
• Wildcard Sveta Kuznetsova defeated qualifier Karman Thandi 3-6 6-3 6-2
• Qiang Wang (3) defeated Nicole Gibbs 6-1 6-2
• Qualifier Deniz Khazaniuk defeated wildcard Xinyu Wang 6-4 4-6 6-3
• Andrea Petkovic defeated qualifier Lizette Cabrera 1-6 6-3 6-3
• Yafan Wang defeated lucky loser Lin Zhu 6-2 6-2