Chinese players had a bit of mixed results on the first day of the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Japan on Monday. Of the four Chinese players who played their first-round matches, two advanced to the second round while two crashed out of the event.
Qinwen Zheng won her opener against home favourite Misaki Doi, 6-2, 6-4 in an hour and 20 minutes. Zheng won 78% of her first-serve points to Doi’s 53%. She saved three of the four break points she faced while converting four of the seven break points that came her way on the latter’s serve.
In the second round, Zheng will play top seed Paula Badosa. The Spaniard received a first-round bye. Xinyu Wang was the other Chinese player to reach the second round. Wang defeated Australian qualifier, Ellen Perez 7-5, 1-6, 6-4.
Theirs was the sole match that went the distance in the Japanese capital on its opening day of play. Wang will take on either eighth seed Elena Rybakina or Liudmila Samsonova next. Meanwhile, in an all-qualifier’s round-of-32 c!ash, Greek Despina Papamichail defeated Chinese qualifier, Xiaodi You.
Papamichail needed an hour and 55 minutes to claim a 6-4, 6-2 win for herself. Next up for her will be third seed Garbine Muguruza. The Spaniard also received a first-round bye. Elise Mertens ousted Qiang Wang in their opening-round encounter.
The Belgian posted a 6-0, 6-3 win in 82 minutes.
Toray Pan Pacific Open: Alison Riske-Amritraj exits
Mertens’ next opponent will be American Claire Liu. Liu caused the sole upset of the day as she took out fellow American, the seventh-seeded Alison Riske-Amritraj.
Liu needed an hour and 20 minutes to claim a 6-2, 6-3 win. Lastly, Petra Martic also moved into the second round. The Croatian defeated Japanese qualifier, Rino Saigo in a one-sided contest, 6-1, 6-1 in just 69 minutes. Martin will play the second-seeded Caroline Garcia for a chance to reach the quarter-finals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
