Chakvetadze Wins Opener at China Open

See-saw matches and a strong performance from a recently fallen Top 10 star highlighted Day 2 of the China Open, a $600,000, Tier II event.
 
Anna Chakvetadze, who dipped out of the world's Top 10 during the summer and is now ranked No.12, made a good first impression in Beijing on Tuesday, beating Iveta Benesova in straight sets, 64 75. Chakvetadze, the No.8 seed, and Benesova, a lucky loser into the main draw, went to battle for an hour and a half, and it was the Russian who upped her level at the most important junctures, recovering from a break down in the first set and holding on in the second after Benesova rallied from 4-0 down. Chakvetadze is now 4-0 lifetime against the Czech.
 
The only other Top 20 player in action, Alizé Cornet - who is unseeded this week - survived a marathon against Chinese qualifier Zhang Shuai, going right to a third set tie-break and rallying from 3-0 down in it to prevail, 61 36 76(7). Other dramatic victories were Aleksandra Wozniak's 67(3) 75 64 win over Virginie Razzano, during which she rallied from a set and 2-0 down; Alla Kudryavtseva beating Peng Shuai 75 64, coming back from a break down in both sets; Francesca Schiavone rallying from 5-3 down in the second set to beat China's Li Na, 61 76(4); and Tamarine Tanasugarn's 64 75 win over Katarina Srebotnik, in which she was down 5-1 in the second set - and set point at 5-3 down.
 

Other winners were 2007 champion Agnes Szavay, who downed Yaroslava Shvedova, 64 63, and Japan's Ai Sugiyama, who beat China's Yan Zi, 63 64.
 
With Li, Peng and Yan all falling first round, China's hopes on Tuesday rested upon the shoulders of Zheng Jie. And Zheng came out firing in the final match of the day against No.6 seed Agnieszka Radwanska, bursting out to a 3-0 lead, but rain halted play and pushed the conclusion of the match to Wednesday.
 
Two higher seeds - Jelena Jankovic and Vera Zvonareva - play their first matches of the week on Wednesday. Jankovic - who, for the first tournament in a while, does not have a chance of regaining the No.1 ranking this week - will play Wozniak in the first night match, followed by Zvonareva taking on Schiavone.

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