 Peng Shuai of China reacts to a point against Jelena Jankovic of Serbia during their round two women's singles match on the fourth day of the Australian Open. AFP photo |
China's Peng Shuai shocked former world number one Jelena Jankovic to reach the Australian Open third round Thursday in the tournament's biggest upset so far.
Peng, ranked 54 to Jankovic's eight, came through a tight first-set tiebreak before registering a famous 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 win, as she equaled her best ever Grand Slam performance and joined countrywoman Li Na in the third round.
The result comes a year after Li and Zheng Jie both reached the Australian Open semi-finals in what was China's most successful Grand Slam. Peng now goes into an all-Asian clash with Japan's Ayumi Morita.
Li and Peng are ramping up Chinese hopes of a first Grand Slam victory in a tournament left up for grabs by the absence of injured five-time champion Serena Williams.
Peng, who had won just seven of her 34 matches against top-10 opponents previously, capitalized on seventh seed Jankovic's inconsistency, and afterwards said her self-belief was growing.
"Maybe I believe more in myself now," Peng said. "I was really happy with today's win, I thought I played well.
"At first I was really nervous on center court. She's a good player."
Peng also reached the third round here in 2008, and at Wimbledon in 2006 and 2008. She battled appendicitis and injury last year but bounced back to win an Asian Games gold medal and has already reached two semifinals this year.
Serbia's Jankovic, currently ranked eighth in the world, was a semi-finalist here in 2008, but was undone by her high number of mistakes, making 39 unforced errors to her opponent's 20.
"I had bad shot-selection at the wrong times. I couldn't afford to make the errors that I made, especially at crucial times of the match," Jankovic said.
"As a top player -- I've been number one in the world -- it's tough to sometimes accept those mistakes. Really at times I couldn't believe I could do that, why am I doing that."
It was Peng's second consecutive victory over the Serbian after Beijing in 2009. Jankovic won their first five encounters.
The 25-year-old missed much of last summer after suffering appendicitis and injury, but she has started 2011 in top form, reaching the semi-finals in Auckland and Hobart.
Japan's Kei Nishikori has also reached the third round, where he will play Spanish heavyweight Fernando Verdasco. China's Zheng is missing the Australian Open through injury.
Peng, ranked 54 to Jankovic's eight, came through a tight first-set tiebreak before registering a famous 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 win, as she equaled her best ever Grand Slam performance and joined countrywoman Li Na in the third round.
The result comes a year after Li and Zheng Jie both reached the Australian Open semi-finals in what was China's most successful Grand Slam. Peng now goes into an all-Asian clash with Japan's Ayumi Morita.
Li and Peng are ramping up Chinese hopes of a first Grand Slam victory in a tournament left up for grabs by the absence of injured five-time champion Serena Williams.
Peng, who had won just seven of her 34 matches against top-10 opponents previously, capitalized on seventh seed Jankovic's inconsistency, and afterwards said her self-belief was growing.
"Maybe I believe more in myself now," Peng said. "I was really happy with today's win, I thought I played well.
"At first I was really nervous on center court. She's a good player."
Peng also reached the third round here in 2008, and at Wimbledon in 2006 and 2008. She battled appendicitis and injury last year but bounced back to win an Asian Games gold medal and has already reached two semifinals this year.
Serbia's Jankovic, currently ranked eighth in the world, was a semi-finalist here in 2008, but was undone by her high number of mistakes, making 39 unforced errors to her opponent's 20.
"I had bad shot-selection at the wrong times. I couldn't afford to make the errors that I made, especially at crucial times of the match," Jankovic said.
"As a top player -- I've been number one in the world -- it's tough to sometimes accept those mistakes. Really at times I couldn't believe I could do that, why am I doing that."
It was Peng's second consecutive victory over the Serbian after Beijing in 2009. Jankovic won their first five encounters.
The 25-year-old missed much of last summer after suffering appendicitis and injury, but she has started 2011 in top form, reaching the semi-finals in Auckland and Hobart.
Japan's Kei Nishikori has also reached the third round, where he will play Spanish heavyweight Fernando Verdasco. China's Zheng is missing the Australian Open through injury.
No comments:
Post a Comment