COMEBACK QUEEN:Chang Kai-chen faces former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic in the singles final, while Taiwan is guaranteed a champion in the doubles final
Taipei Times
Date: Aug 02, 2015
By: Dave Carroll / Staff reporter with AP
Taiwan’s Chang Kai-chen will play in both finals at the Jiangxi Women’s Tennis Open in
Taiwan’s Chang Kai-chen returns to Luksika Kumkhum of Thailand in the women’s singles final at the Universiade in Yeomju, South Korea, on July 12. Photo: Lin Cheng-kun, Taipei Times
Nanchang, China, today after she battled for almost three hours to overcome Lu Jiajing of China in their singles semi-final yesterday, a day after rallying from a set down to seal a spot in the doubles final.
The 24-year-old Taiwanese world No. 191, who reached a career-high 82nd in the rankings in 2010, had to come back from a set down on Center Court again yesterday, but she eventually prevailed 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/3) in a marathon semi-final at the Nanchang International Sports Center that lasted 2 hours, 50 minutes
Chang, who won the gold medal in the women’s singles at the Summer Universiade in South Korea on July 12, saved six of 14 break points and converted six of 17, winning 125 of the 247 points contested to edge Lu, who saved two match points at 5-6 in the third set, but could not prevent the Taiwanese from claiming the third-set tiebreaker at the WTA 125K tournament.
In today’s singles final, Chang faces an even tougher opponent, top seed and former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, after the Serbian world No. 25 cruised past Han Xinyun of China 6-1, 6-2 in 1 hour, 27 minutes in the second semi-final on Center Court. [FULL STORY]
