Tennis: Wozniacki endures tough test in China

World number one registers fighting win while Roddick crashes out.

BEIJING:

Holder Caroline Wozniacki survived a tough challenge to begin her defence of the China Open, with a hard-fought 3-6, 6-0, 7-5 win over Lucie Hradecka.

Wozniacki has had a patchy few months, crashing to a second-round loss last week in Tokyo but the world number one was happy at the welcome victory.

“It wasn’t a pretty match, but I’m through,” she said. “That’s what’s most important.”

Beijing has been a special place for the Dane, who first took over the top ranking here a year ago.

“It’s been a year now that I’m number one. It was something I’ve always practised for and tried to achieve.”

Wozniacki lost the first set but belatedly came good, ignoring nine aces from Hradecka, and broke her serve six times on her way to victory.

Meanwhile, Zheng Jie beat Italian Alberta Brianti 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, while Ana Ivanovic cruised to a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 win over Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Anderson upsets Roddick

In the men’s event, sixth-seed Andy Roddick crashed out at the first hurdle to South Africa’s Kevin Anderson 6-4, 7-5, denting his hopes of reaching the ATP World Tour Finals.

Roddick has had a poor year but a run to the quarter- finals of the US Open raised hope of a fine end to the season. However, his normally solid serve was broken four times by Anderson.

Croatia’s Marin Cilic defeated China’s Wu Di 6-2, 6-0, while Spain’s Feliciano Lopez put out Turk Marsel Ilhan 6-2, 7-6.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2011.