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HUA HIN, Thailand (AP) — Rising Russian star Diana Shnaider bounced back from a turbulent second set to upend defending champion Zhu Lin of China 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 for her maiden title at the WTA Thailand Open on Sunday. In the second, Zhu mounted a comeback, winning four consecutive games from 2-2, to force a decisive third set. Following a toilet break, Shnaider returned to the court with renewed intensity. As Zhu struggled to maintain focus, Shnaider seized the opportunity to break her opponent three times to clinch the decisive set and claim her first WTA title. Photos You Should See View All 45 ImagesIt was Shnaider’s second WTA final appearance, having previously lost to Ons Jabeur in Ningbo, China last September.

Persons: HUA, Diana Shnaider, Zhu Lin, Zhu, Shnaider, “, I’m, ” Shnaider, ”, Miyu Kato, Aldila, Guo, Xinyu Jiang, ___ Organizations: WTA Thailand, North Carolina State University, WTA Locations: HUA HIN, Thailand, China, Ningbo, Japan, Indonesia, Auckland, Cleveland

☆ WTA roundup: Zheng Qinwen advances at Zhengzhou Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

She will face Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina, who posted a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Russian qualifier Vera Zvonareva. Hana Bank Korea OpenBelgium's Yanina Wickmayer seized a 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory over third-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia to move on to the quarterfinals in Seoul. Wickmayer will meet Russian Polina Kudermetova, who breezed to a 6-3, 6-1 win over Kathinka von Deichmann of Liechenstein. Fifth-seeded Anna Blinkova of Russia coasted to a 6-1, 6-3 win over Australian Priscilla Hon to advance to the third round. Third-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium had little difficulty in her 6-1, 6-4 victory over Australian qualifier Daria Saville.

Persons: China's, Zheng, China's Zhu Lin REUTERS, Kim Kyung, Zheng Qinwen, Maria Sakkari, Sakkari, Kalinina, Vera Zvonareva, Italy's Jasmine Paolini, Caroline Garcia of, Ukraine's, Tsurenko, Donna Vekic, Wickmayer, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Kudermetova, Kathinka von Deichmann, Claire Liu, Arantxa Rus, China's Yuan Yue, Slovenia's Kaja Juvan, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Anna Blinkova, Russia coasted, Priscilla Hon, Elise Mertens, Daria Saville Organizations: Tennis Centre, Russian, Caroline Garcia of France, Hana Bank, Hong, Belarus, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China, Greece, Zhengzhou, Croatia, Hana Bank Korea, Russia, Seoul, Wickmayer, Arantxa, Netherland, Hong Kong, Brazil, Belgium

☆ China's Wang claims maiden WTA title in Guangzhou
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The 22-year-old Wang's victory marked the fourth time that a Chinese player has been crowned champion in Guangzhou, following Wang Qiang (2018), Zhang Shuai (2013, 2017) and Li Na (2004). "It was very exciting and it's a very emotional moment because in this tournament, every player is really tough," Wang said. "I wanted a title from the first day, even when I started tennis. China last hosted a WTA tournament in 2019, before the COVID crisis wreaked havoc on the global sports schedule. The WTA was widely praised for suspending tournaments in China but reversed its decision in April.

Persons: Wang Xiyu, Russia's Mirra Andreeva, Toby Melville, Magda Linette, Wang Qiang, Zhang Shuai, Li Na, Wang, I'm, Zhu Lin, Hua Hin, Zheng Qinwen, Peng Shuai, Peng, Shrivathsa Sridhar Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, WTA, Guangzhou, women's, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Guangzhou, Palermo, China, Bengaluru

☆ WTA roundup: Ashlyn Krueger wins 1st title at Japan Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] FILE PHOTO:Aug 6, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Camila Giorgi (ITA) hits a forehand against Ashlyn Krueger (USA) (not pictured) in second round qualifying play at IGA Stadium. 123 in the world, Krueger, 19, entered the week without a main-draw win on hard court this year and had never advanced past a quarterfinal of a WTA event. Krueger had the edge in aces, 7-3, and never had to save a break point in the 96-minute match. She broke Zhu on her first service game of the match, and Zhu was 1-for-2 in saving break points. "I think I was very aggressive today, playing a lot of really aggressive tennis and using my serve," said Krueger, who recorded 28 winners to 13 for her opponent.

Persons: Camila Giorgi, Ashlyn Krueger, Eric Bolte, Ashlyn Krueger didn't, Zhu Lin, Krueger, China's Zhu, Zhu, Grace Min, Elise Mertens, Yanina, Mertens, Jasmine Paolini, Louisa Chirico, Karolina Pliskova, Ena Shibahara, Sloane Stephens, Ann Li, Canada's Leylah Fernandez breezed, Asia Muhammad, Taylor Townsend, Hailey Baptiste, Eugenie Bouchard of Canada, Dayana, Martina Trevisan, Cristina Bucsa Organizations: IGA, Japan, WTA, Dallas, United, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Osaka, Guadalajara, Mexico, Ukraine, United States, Italy, Czech, Japan, U.S, Asia, Alycia, Spain, Belarus

OSAKA, Japan (AP) — American Ashlyn Krueger capped a perfect week to win her maiden tour title by stunning top-seeded Zhu Lin of China 6-3, 7-6 (6) in the final of the Japan Open. Before this week, the 123rd-ranked Krueger's best tour result was the quarterfinals on the grass of ’s-Hertogenbosch. She came into the week without a main-draw win on hard courts this year. Her victory in Osaka will move the American inside the top 100 for the first time. ——Political Cartoons View All 1163 Images

Persons: Ashlyn Krueger, Zhu Lin, Krueger hadn’t, — Organizations: Japan, 123rd Locations: OSAKA, Japan, China, Osaka

☆ Azarenka and Pliskova slog way into second round of rainy Canadian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Aug 7, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Victoria Azarenka serves against Magda Linette (POL) (not pictured) in first round play at IGA Stadium. Azarenka was unfazed by the rain, charging ahead 5-2 in the opening set before closing it out with a break just before play was stopped a second time. She romped through the second set, winning 24 of 31 points and breaking Poland's Linette three times. When play restarted, Zhu pounced, winning two points to clinch the tie-break 10-8. But the 31-year-old Czech quickly refocused in the decider, applying pressure and breaking Zhu three times to move onto the second round and a meeting with Polish world number one and reigning US Open champion Iga Swiatek.

Persons: Victoria Azarenka, Magda Linette, Eric Bolte, Karolina Pliskova, Azarenka, Sloane Stephens, Ukraine's, Pliskova, Zhu Lin, Sascha Bajin, Zhu, Zhu pounced, Iga Swiatek, Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Steve Keating, Jamie Freed Organizations: Victoria, IGA, Canadian, Warsaw, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Stuttgart, Pliskova, Czech, Toronto

☆ Top seed Swiatek powers past Zhu to launch Wimbledon title quest
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The 22-year-old Pole, who won the French Open title for the third time last month to make it four Grand Slam crowns, has yet to get past the fourth round of the London major. I felt like I did a very good job," said Swiatek, a former junior champion at Wimbledon. "I feel really good after Roland Garros (French Open). "Last year it was my second Grand Slam (at the French Open) and it felt overwhelming. Zhu saved two set points at 5-0 but Swiatek sealed the first set a game later with a powerful crosscourt forehand winner.

Persons: Iga Swiatek, China's Zhu Lin REUTERS, Hannah Mckay LONDON, Zhu Lin, Swiatek, Roland Garros, Zhu, Karolos Grohmann, Ed Osmond Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Wimbledon, London, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Homburg

☆ Djokovic centre stage again as Wimbledon gets under way
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The 36-year-old Djokovic, who has only lost twice at Wimbledon in a decade, tops the bill on Monday when he begins the Centre Court programme against Argentina's Pedro Cachin. Following Djokovic on to the hallowed turf, five-times women's champion Venus Williams, aged 43, will try and roll back the years as her 24th Wimbledon appearance begins against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina. Rain showers are expected throughout the opening days although that will not impact those with tickets for Centre Court and Court One, both of which boast retractable roofs. Political slogans of any sort are banned around the grounds with Wimbledon organisers determined the focus should remain firmly on the tennis. All 17 players from those two countries, including men's third seed Daniil Medvedev, are competing as neutrals.

Persons: Serbia's Novak Djokovic, Hannah Mckay LONDON, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Serena Williams, Nick Kyrgios, Djokovic, Federer, Bjorn Borg's, Argentina's Pedro Cachin, Venus Williams, Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, Williams, Iga, Swiatek, China's Zhu Lin, Suncream, Putin's, Daniil Medvedev, Martyn Herman, Ed Osmond Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Wimbledon REUTERS, Wimbledon, Court, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, England, Serbian, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Russian

I haven't played a lot of matches in the last few years and not by choice," Williams said. I put my head down and put even more work in and got myself in a much better position." Of those three matches, her only win came against Camila Giorgi -- a former Wimbledon quarter-finalist -- in Birmingham. "Last year I felt a lot of pressure here because I was number one," she said. Four Americans will be in action against each other with Sofia Kenin taking on seventh seed Coco Gauff while fourth seed Jessica Pegula faces Lauren Davis.

Persons: Venus Williams, It's, Williams, Elina Svitolina, Serena, haven't, Camila Giorgi, there's, Iga Swiatek, Zhu Lin, Nick Kyrgios, David Goffin ., Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Lauren Davis, Rohith Nair, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Wimbledon, Court, U.S, All England, WTA, David Goffin . Four, Thomson Locations: Auckland, Birmingham, Bengaluru

☆ Swiatek goes back to basics in bid for Wimbledon glory
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Swiatek won the U.S. Open in 2022 and last month secured her second consecutive French Open crown. "This year I feel like we had more time to kind of focus on the basics, more time to also play matches. She said she expected to be fine come Monday when Wimbledon begins and added that she was working on perfecting her footwork. "That's where my strength is on other surfaces," Swiatek said. "Yeah, I feel like if you have time to adjust to the surface and then use your intuition in matches...

Persons: Swiatek, China's Zhu Lin, Tatjana Maria, Jil Teichmann, Anna Blinkova, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Hugh Lawson Organizations: U.S, Wimbledon, Thomson Locations: Wimbledon, Bad Homburg, Bengaluru

☆ Djokovic to face Cachin in Wimbledon opener, Rybakina up against Rogers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Friday's draw at the All England Club pitched women's top seed Iga Swiatek against China's 33rd-ranked Zhu Lin, a potentially tricky first hurdle for the Pole. Murray could face fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in round two although first Tsitsipas must get passed former U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem who has tumbled down the rankings. Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev, a potential semi-final opponent for Alcaraz, returns to Wimbledon with a first round against British wildcard Arthur Fery. The projected women's quarter-finals based on seedings would see Swiatek meet seventh seed Coco Gauff while third seed Rybakina could face Tunisia's Ons Jabeur. Djokovic, bidding for a record-extending 24th Grand Slam title, will face Cachin on Monday while Rybakina plays the traditional Tuesday Centre Court opener for women's defending champions.

Persons: Serbia's Novak Djokovic, Frances Tiafoe, John Sibley, Elena Rybakina, Shelby Rogers, Novak Djokovic, Pedro Cachin, Zhu Lin, Aryna Sabalenka, Hungarian Panna Udvardy, Venus Williams, Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, Andy Murray, Ryan Peniston, Murray, Stefanos, Dominic Thiem, Coco Gauff, Sofia Kenin, Djokovic, Roger Federer's, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, Alcaraz, Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, Nick Kyrgios, David Goffin, Daniil Medvedev, Arthur Fery, Jessica Pegula, Holger Rune, Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, Cachin, Rybakina, Martyn Herman, Christian Radnedge Organizations: U.S, John Sibley LONDON, Wimbledon, Argentina's, All England, China's, Queen's, Belgian, British, Denmark's, Tsitsipas, women's, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Belarusian, Ukraine, Hungarian, Russian

☆ China's Zeekr launches electric SUV, targets Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Zoey ZhangCHENGDU, China, April 12 (Reuters) - Chinese electric vehicle maker Zeekr on Wednesday launched a compact, all-electric sport utility vehicle, as it targeted a premium market in China that has been dominated by German automakers. The Geely-owned [RIC:RIC:GEELY.UL] brand said it also planned to offer the SUV-styled Zeekr X and its Zeekr 001 EV sedan in Western Europe without saying when that would be. The company will start delivering the Zeekr X in China from June with a target of delivering 40,000 this year, An said. After Europe, Zeekr will target Asian markets outside China, An said without providing details. It sold 15,234 of its two existing models - the 001 sedan and the 009 multi-purpose vehicle - in the first quarter, accounting for just 2% of China's battery electric vehicle sales.

☆ Azarenka back in Australian Open quarters after seven-year wait
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Azarenka, twice a winner of the title in Melbourne, started slowly and lost the opening set but stormed through the second to take the fourth round match into a decider. I've had a couple of close matches this year that didn't go my way so I'm really proud of myself." Looking ahead to her quarter-final she said it would be a more familiar opponent, having known liitle about Zhu Lin. "I've practised a lot with Jess and I'm going to enjoy that one. If I do lose I would rather lose to Jess, but I'm going to give her hell!"

☆ Top seed Swiatek crashes out, Gauff exits Australian Open in tears
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"I felt the pressure, and I felt that I don't want to lose instead of I want to win," said Swiatek, who dominated last season with two Grand Slam wins. Rybakina, the 22nd seed, might have expected to face Gauff in the quarter-finals but the much-hyped American teen was upset 7-5 6-3 by Jelena Ostapenko, the forgotten Grand Slam winner of women's tennis. The win secured a first Australian Open quarter-final for hard-hitting Ostapenko, as well as the first at a Grand Slam since her run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2018. Latvia's first - and only - Grand Slam champion stunned the world when she hoisted the trophy at Roland Garros as an unseeded 20-year-old. Third seed Pegula will face the winner of Victoria Azarenka and China's Zhu Lin for a place in the semi-finals.

☆ Venus out of Australian Open following injury in Auckland
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 7 (Reuters) - Seven-times Grand Slam champion Venus Williams pulled out of this month's Australian Open due to injury, the organisers of the season's first Grand Slam said on Saturday. Williams was set to play her 22nd Australian Open after being awarded a wildcard to the Jan. 16-29 tournament. "Venus Williams has withdrawn from the Australian Open due to an injury sustained at the ASB Classic in New Zealand," the Australian Open said in a tweet. Australia's Kimberly Birrell was awarded her wildcard place. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Noskova stuns Azarenka in Adelaide as Jabeur, Sabalenka reach semis
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 6 (Reuters) - Teenaged qualifier Linda Noskova saved a match point before completing a stunning 6-4 6-7(3) 7-6(6) victory over double Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the Adelaide International 1. Noskova, who also upset third seed Daria Kasatkina earlier in the WTA 500 event, next meets favourite and world number two Ons Jabeur who battled past Marta Kostyuk 7-6(5) 7-5. Second seed Aryna Sabalenka staved off a late fightback from former French Open runner-up Marketa Vondrousova to win 6-3 7-5 in hot conditions. She fought until the end and I was really happy I was able to win," WTA Finals runner-up Sabalenka said after another battling display in her preparation for the Jan. 16-29 Australian Open. "I think because I'm staying really calm and I feel like I'm at home here that's why I play really well.

☆ Tennis roundup: Novak Djokovic advances in Adelaide
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

January 5 - Top seed Novak Djokovic fended off an upset bid from World No. 64 Quentin Halys to win 7-6 (3) 7-6 (5) on Thursday at the Adelaide International 1 in Adelaide, Australia. 6 seed, Jannik Sinner of Italy, who posted a 7-6 (2), 6-4 win over home-country favorite Thanasi Kokkinakis. Sinner will meet American Sebastian Korda, who ousted Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4. ASB ClassicTop seed Coco Gauff ousted fellow American Sofia Kenin 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals in Auckland, New Zealand.

☆ Raducanu suffers injury scare ahead of Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"So to be stopped by a freak injury, rolling an ankle is pretty disappointing, in the first week as well. The Australian Open begins on Jan. 16. AZARENKA THROUGHAt the Adelaide International 1 WTA 500 event, twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka saw off Zheng Qinwen 6-2 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals alongside unseeded duo Irina-Camelia Begu and Linda Noskova. China's Zheng, who was named WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2022, sent down 10 aces and 34 winners but also made 35 unforced errors at the Australian Open warm-up event. Belarusian Azarenka next faces Czech teenager Noskova, who followed up her first-round upset of Daria Kasatkina with a 6-2 6-2 win over fellow qualifier Clair Liu.

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