US OPEN: Zheng, Wang progresses to third round; Shevchenko goes out
NEW YORK, AUGUST 28: World number seven and Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng (CHN) survived a scare against Erika Andreeva before sealing a spot in the US Open third round but Yafan Wang (CHN) was fluent in her win even as Alexander Shevchenko (KAZ) retired mid-way into his men’s singles second round against local favourite Frances Tiafoe.
Qinwen was stretched by her rival but once she closed the opening set in he favour there was no looking back and walked out a winner with a 6-7 (3) 6-1 6-2 scoreline. The 21-year-old Chinese fired as many as 20 aces in the contest lasting two hours and 28 minutes.
Wang, who was impressive in the first round, continued her impressive show with a 6-0 6-4 demolition of higher-ranked Diane Parry (FRA). Wang, ranked 80, dominated the match with first her first serve while Parry struggled to contain her unforced errors.
Shevchenko took a medical time out in the second set as a trainer attended to his left knee but he found it tough to continue after dropping serve in the first game of the third set, losing 4-6 1-6 0-1 to bog-serving Taifoe.
However, highly-rated Chinese teenager Juncheng Shang ensured Asia’s representation in the men’s singles third round with his straight set victory over Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena. The 19-year-old Chinese faced some resistance from the Spaniard in the third set but he progressed to next round with a 6-2 6-3 7-6(2) win after two hours and 44 minutes.
Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima, ranked 64 in the world, also exited the last Grand Slam of the season after losing her women’s singles second 4-6 0-6 to Germany’s Jule Niemeier, who is ranked just outside the top-100.
Uchijima had her chances but could not capitalise on the breakpoints she got.
In the men’s doubles, India’s Yuki Bhmabri and N Sriram Balaji moved to the second round with their respective partners.
Balaji and his Argentine partner Guido Andreozzi overcame a one-set deficit to beat New Zealand’s Marcus Daniell and Mexico’s Miguel Reyes-Varela 5-7 6-1 7-6 (12-6) in a close contest that lasted two hours and 36 minutes.
Bhambri and his French partner Albano Olivetti also advanced with a 6-3 6-4 win over local wildcards Ryan Seggerman and Patrik Trhac.
In the women’s doubles Saisai Zhang and Xinyu Wang had a one-set advantage but lost 6-2 5-7 2-6 to Katie Boulter and Anna Kalinskaya. Also losing the women’s doubles was China’s Yifan Xu and her partner Cristina Bucsa. They lost the tight first round 3-6 7-6(5) 4-10.
In the mixed doubles, China’s Shuai Zhang and Marcelo Arevalo lost the opening round 6-3 3-6 8-10 to Cristina Bucsa and Joran Vliegen.
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