Thailand Open: Lin Zhu extends good momentum to upset no. 3 seed in opener

The Thailand Open, one of the two WTA 250 events this week, post the Australian Open frenzy, kicked off in Hua Hin on Monday. A few first-round matches were played with one of the top seeds exiting in the opening round itself.

Lin Zhu, fresh off her heroics at the Australian Open, continued her upbeat form by taking out fellow Chinese player and third seed, Xiyu Wang in the round-of-32 clash. Zhu who reached a new career-high of no. 54 in the WTA rankings this week won 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 in two hours and 28 minutes.

Thailand Open: Lin Zhu’s impressivenes builds on

Zhu won 68% of her first-serve points to Wang’s 64%. She also won 57% of her second-serve points and 72% points on return on Wang’s second serve. In the deciding set, Zhu won 100% points on both her first and second serve – 12 off 12 points played (first and second serves combined). In that set, she also didn’t face a single break point. In total, across all three sets, Zhu saved three of the six break points she faced while converting six break points on Wang’s serve.

In the second round, Zhu will play South Korean Su Jeong Jang. Jang defeated Briton Katie Boulter 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 after two hours and 39 minutes of play. Boulter hit eight double faults and won only 28% second-serve points. She also failed to save seven of the 11 break points she faced.

Meanwhile, the other seed to start play, seventh seed Xinyu Wang moved safely to the second round. Wang won 6-2, 6-2 in an hour and 15 minutes against Swiss qualifier, Joanne Zuger. Wang will play Sweden’s Mirjam Bjorklund next. Bjorklund defeated Thai wildcard Lanlana Tararudee 6-2, 6-4. In the second set, Bjorklund won six games in a row to beat Tararudee after being 2-4 down.

Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko needed two hours and 14 minutes to get past Ysaline Bonaventure of Belgium. Tsurenko won 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 and will play either fourth seed Anna Kalinskaya or qualifier Ekaterina Makarova.

Lastly, Tamara Zidansek also took her place in the second round of the Thailand Open. The Slovenian beat Australian qualifier Astra Sharma 6-3, 6-3 in 71 minutes. Zidansek’s next opponent will be either eighth seed Linda Fruhvirtova or wildcard Bethanie Mattek-Sands.