Unseeded Wang Qiang pulls off surprise at Shenzhen Open

Unseeded home player Wang Qiang upset seventh seed Monica Niculescu of Romania 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, in a gruelling encounter that lasted more than two hours in the second round of the WTA Shenzhen Open on Tuesday.

Wang, aged 24, and ranked 71 in the world, said: [My coach] decided I should be patient in the game, waiting for the chance and then playing aggressive.

“I focused on my serve during winter training, adding some speed in the first service and spin in the second.”

Meanwhile, top seed and world number three Agnieszka Radwanska made short work of her second-round opponent. The Pole disposed of Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-3 in an hour and 18 minutes.

Cirstea, ranked 78th in the world, lost more than half the points she served and faced 14 break points, losing six of them.