Tuesday was the unofficial first day of play at the 2015 Guangzhou Open. After the first main draw matches of the tournament were rained out on Monday, there was a lot of main draw action on day two. Top seeds Simona Halep and Andrea Petkovic were both in action, as were home favourite Duan Ying-Ying, Zhaoxuan Yang and Qiang Wang.
Halep, Errani and Jankovic Amongst Winners on Day Two
For the first time in five years, Halep returned to Guangzhou to kick off her quest for a fourth title of 2015. The world number two showed why she is one of the best players in the world, defeating qualifier Petra Martic 6-4, 6-2. Her opponent will be Timea Babos, who cruised into the second round with a 6-3, 6-0 win over home favourite Zhaoxuan Yang.
Third seed Sara Errani was looking to get off to a good start in Asia, after losing in the third round of the US Open. Errani played Duan Ying-Ying in a potentially dangerous first round match. The Italian took the first set 6-3 before the Chinese woman stormed back to take the second set by the score line. But in the end, it was the third seed who came out on top, winning the match 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. Errani’s next opponent will be Zhang Kai-Lin -- another Chinese woman. Zhang defeated WTA rising star Ons Jabeur 6-3, 6-3.
Fourth seed Jelena Jankovic made a winning return back to China on Tuesday afternoon. The former world number one won the $125,000 WTA event in Nanchang just under three months ago and looks to be at home on the Chinese hard courts. Jankovic defeated Elena Vesnina 7-6(3), 6-3 in two hours and three minutes. Joining her in the next round is 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone. Schiavone snapped a five match losing streak against China’s Zhang Shuai, whom she defeated 6-4, 6-4.
Other seeded players to battle past the first hurdle included fifth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, sixth seed and defending champion Monica Niculescu, and eighth seed Zheng Saisai. Kuznetsova defeated Daniela Hantuchova 6-3, 7-5 in a battle of the veterans, Niculescu defeated the animated Yulia Putintseva 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-3 in a three hour epic and Zheng defeated Aleksandra Krunic 6-2, 6-1 to restore some Chinese pride.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the seeds on Tuesday though; seventh seed Danka Kovinic and second seed Andrea Petkovic fell at the opening hurdle and were both sent packing earlier than they expected. Kovinic lost 6-4, 6-2 to Bojana Jovanovski while Petkovic lost to WTA rising star Monica Puig 6-1, 6-4.
Other winners on day two included qualifiers Anett Kontaveit and Rebecca Peterson, Urszula Radwanska, Denisa Allertova and Tokyo champion Yanina Wickmayer.
Doubles Results
On the doubles side, seeded teams Klaudia Jans-Ignacik and Anastasia Rodionova and Jocelyn Rae and Anna Smith and Julia Glushko and Rebecca Peterson were all winners on the first day of doubles action. Jans-Ignacik and Rodionova edged Oksana Kalashnikova and Katarzyna Piter 10-8 in the super tiebreak, while Rae and Smith and Glushko and Peterson beat Chinese teams in their opening round matches, respectively.
Headlining Day Three...
On day three, all of the players in singles action today will be in action tomorrow. This means Simona Halep, Sara Errani and Jelena Jankovic will all be in action, as they bid for a place in the quarterfinals.