September 20, 2007	Thursday	Ramazan 07, 1428

BEIJING, Sept 19: Martina Hingis needed less than an hour to secure her first-ever win in China on Tuesday, dispatching local favourite Sun Tiantian 6-2, 6-3 to move into the second round of the China Open.

The Swiss fifth seed and former world number one is in Beijing hoping to put an end to an injury-plagued run that has kept her from reaching the quarter-finals in her last seven tournaments.

The five-time Grand Slam winner and current world number 18 last won in Tokyo in February. She wasted no time on court on Tuesday, defeating the 142nd-ranked Sun in just 58 minutes, in a match that had been postponed late Monday due to rain.

The 26-year-old from Zurich, who returned to the game in January 2006 following a three-year layoff, converted half of her 10 break attempts, while losing her own serve twice.

Hingis, who has 43 career titles, lost her first serve but broke back quickly.

The Swiss Miss will face another local favourite in the second round when she takes on number 49 Peng Shuai, a winner on Tuesday over compatriot Xu Yi-fan, 6-1, 6-4.

Peng, coached by former Chinese-American great Michael Chang, reached the semi-finals here last year, where she lost to eventual champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, who is this year’s top seed. Peng is the last local in the field.

In other action, Japan’s Akiko Morigami earned the first upset of the week, defeating Spanish seventh seed Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-4, 6-4.

Greek number eight Eleni Daniilidou defeated Ukraine’s Olga Govortsova, 6-2, 6-1, rebounding from an opening round loss to a resurgent Lindsay Davenport last week in Bali.

The top four seeds led by Russia’s Fed Cup heroine Kuznetsova all received first-round byes.

Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic, the second seed, accepted a wild card, effectively replacing world number one Justine Henin, who withdrew due to a bronchial infection.

France’s Amelie Mauresmo is the third seed ahead of Russia’s Elena Dementieva.

Tuesday’s results (x denotes seeding):

First round: Martina Hingis (SUI x5) bt Sun Tiantian (CHN) 6-2, 6-3; Akiko Morigami (JPN) bt Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP x7) 6-4, 6-4; Eleni Daniilidou (GRE x8) bt Olga Govortsova (UKR) 6-2, 6-1; Aiko Nakamura (JPN) bt Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) 6-1, 7-6 (7/4); Peng Shuai (CHN) bt Xu Yi-fan (CHN) 6-1, 6-4; Virginia Ruano Pascual (ESP) bt Olga Poutchkova (RUS) 6-1, 6-1; Abigail Spears (US) bt Yan Zi (CHN) 7-5, 6-3; Agnes Szavay (HUN x6) bt Marina Erakovic (NZL) 7-5, 6-3; Raluca Olaru (POL) bt Martina Muller (GER) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

KING DUMPS BARTOLI

KOLKATA: American teenager Vania King knocked out top seed Marion Bartoli 6-1, 7-5 in the first round of the Kolkata Open on Tuesday.

Bartoli, the world number 12 and Wimbledon finalist, tamely conceded the opening set and paid the price for making too many unforced errors against her unseeded opponent in the indoor tournament.

The 18-year-old King, ranked 78 places below her rival, romped through the first set and then fought to draw level twice in the second after Bartoli broke serve. The American eventually served out for the match.

The match was also delayed due to an exhibition tie, featuring India’s Sania Mirza and top cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, finishing past midnight.

Bartoli blamed the surface after the defeat.

“The slow surface gives the opponent more chance to return the balls,” she told reporters. “I haven’t played her before so tactically I did not get a chance to prepare.”

Tuesday’s results:

Vania King (US) bt Marion Bartoli (FRA x1) 6-1, 7-5; Sunitha Rao (IND) bt Sandy Gumulya (INS) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2; Tzipora Obziler (ISR) bt 9-Yaroslava Shvedova (RUS) 7-6(6), 6-7(8), 6-1; Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) bt Alberta Brianti (ITA) 6-2, 7-5; Tatiana Poutchek (BLS) bt Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS x5) 6-3, 6-3; Anastasia Rodionova (RUS) bt Hana Sromova (CZE) 6-3, 6-2; Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB) bt Edina Gallovits (ROM) 6-2, 0-0 (retired).—Agencies