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Molik tumbled out by Diaz-Oliva
Beijing, 19 September 2005 - Fifth seed Alicia Molik was an early casualty at the China Open on Monday, ousted in the first round by tenacious Argentinian Mariana Diaz-Oliva.
With the Williams sisters and Maria Sharapova all awaiting second-round meetings starting on Wednesday after automatic opening byes, Molik was the highest-ranked player in action on Centre Court at the Beijing Tennis Centre.
But the Australian, still testing herself after more than five months of inner ear infection injury problems, lost 7-6 (7-1), 6-7 (4-7), 6-4 in a hard-fought baseline battle.
The defeat came a week after Molik beat the Argentine in the first round at Bali. The Australian didn’t help her cause with 35 unforced errors and conversions on just over 10 percent of break point chances in a battle lasting for two hours, 38 minutes.
In the only day match on Centre Court, a broken shoelace couldn’t save Akiko Morigami from a first-round defeat. The Japanese lost to countrywoman Ai Sugiyama 7-6 (7-3), 6-4.
An interruption for the shoelace snap came 90 minutes into the contest, with a replacement rushed out on court for Morigami while Sugiyama was forced to cool her heels.
Trailing a set and a break, the 50th-ranked Morigami, whose best showing this season came in a losing Cincinnati final last month to Swiss Patty Schnyder, made a brief stand at the end.
The outsider who has never been beyond the third round of a Grand Slam, caught her No.32 compatriot by surprise in the ninth game of the second set. Morigami forced Sugiyama to drop serve from one of 13 unforced errors on a cloudy afternoon.
But the opening didn’t hold up, with Sugiyama advancing into the second round with an immediate break back to claim victory in one hour, 51 minutes.
On Tuesday, three of China’s four players go into action with national No.1 Peng Shuai facing the home test against Finnish qualifier Emma Laine, ranked 88 and fresh from her first appearance at the U.S. Open.
Other Chinese hopefuls include Sun Tiantian, who plays Russian qualifier Tatiana Panova, and Li Na, who faces American Jill Craybas.
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Released on behalf of TOM Group and the China Open by Two Up Front - Asia’s sports PR specialists.