China
Zheng first into Australian Open quarter-finals
(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-01-24 11:12
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 Zheng Jie of China reacts during her match against Ukraine's Alona Bondarenko at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne January 24, 2010. [Agencies] |
MELBOURNE: China's Zheng Jie became the first player to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals on Sunday after a 7-6 6-4 upset of Alona Bondarenko on Hisense Arena.
The diminutive right-hander, who was the first Chinese to reach the last four of a grand slam when she surprisingly made the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 2008, had to fight back from an early deficit against the 31st seed.
The Ukrainian had taken 2-0 lead in the first set and broke Zheng in the ninth game to give her the opportunity to serve for the set, but the 26-year-old refused to give in and prevailed in a tiebreak.
Neither player appeared able to hold serve in the second set though Zheng converted the important points, taking the three break opportunities Bondarenko presented her with to set up a quarter-final against either world number two Dinara Safina or the unseeded Maria Kirilenko.
