Google News Jiangxi Open: Beatriz Haddad Maia, Magda Linette ousted in openers, without much ado
by ABBEY JOHNSON
The top two seeds at the Jiangxi Open suffered a similar fate in their respective first-round matches, on Tuesday. Top seed Beatriz Haddad Maia and the second-seeded Magda Linette, exited one after another in that order. Japan’s Nao Hibino ended the 18th-ranked Haddad Maia’s run, 7-6(2), 6-3 after two hours and two minutes.
The Brazilian, who’s known to play punishing three-setters en route to victories, never got a chance against the 93rd-ranked Hibino.
Jiangxi Open: Seeds tumble out
Haddad Maia barely made any inroads on her second serve.
Hibino won 71% points on return on her opponent’s second serve. She also converted five of 10 break points she brought up on her higher-ranked rival. The 28-year-old finished the match by winning 14 points more than Haddad Maia’s 75.
Meanwhile, it took Valeria Savinykh three sets and two minutes past three hours to topple Linette. Savinykh prevailed 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(3). The only time in the match the Pole didn’t get broken was in the second set. In that set, she saved both break points she faced and won 69% of first-serve points.
She also put away the set courtesy of just one break she was able to secure on her opponent’s serve. For the match, Savinykh finished with just four more points than her rival’s 107. Next up for the world no. 146 will be Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
Sasnovich won her match against Viktoria Hruncakova 6-1, 6-3 after an hour and 18 minutes of play. Leylah Fernandez also made a winning start in Jiangxi, clinching a 6-1, 6-3 win over local wildcard, Hanyu Guo. Fernandez’s now won six matches on the trot, after having won the Hong Kong Open title last week.
The Canadian will play another local, qualifier Xiaodi You. You upset sixth seed Anna Blinkova 6-1, 6-1 in merely 56 minutes. Lastly, third seed Marie Bouzkova’s the highest seed left in the Jiangxi Open draw. The Czech won 6-1, 6-1 against Liechtenstein’s qualifier, Kathinka von Deichmann.
