Unseeded Wang Qiang pulls off surprise at Shenzhen Open
Ranked 71 in the world, Chinese player beats tournament seventh seed Monica Niculescu of Romania in the second round
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.”
Cirstea, ranked 78th in the world, lost more than half the points she served and faced 14 break points, losing six of them.
Konta recovered to prevail 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and 35 minutes.
American eighth seed Alison Riske beat Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova 6-1, 6-1.
Xinhua, Agence France-Presse