Tennis: Kvitova crashes out in Beijing

World number five crashed out of a WTA Tour event in round two for the second week in a row.

BEIJING: World number five Petra Kvitova crashed out of a WTA Tour event in round two for the second week in a row yesterday, losing in straight sets at the China Open to unheralded Carla Suarez Navarro. The fourth-seed lost 6-3, 6-2 to the Spanish player ranked 46th in the world, just over a week after being humiliated by Croatia’s Petra Martic at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. The 2011 Wimbledon champion from the Czech Republic had received a first-round bye in Japan before losing to Martic, then 73rd in the standings. Her poor form in Asia continued in Beijing, largely due to poor serving. Elsewhere, world number one Victoria Azarenka progressed to the second round with ease, thrashing Alize Cornet of France 6-1, 6-0. The number two in the rankings, Maria Sharapova, overcame Romania’s Simona Halep in a tough match, winning 7-5, 7-5.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2012.