Mirza out of Guangzhou

Sania Mirza's comeback was cut short today by Zhang Shuai, who defeated her 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 in the Guangzhou quarterfinals. Meanwhile, top seed Jarmila Groth advanced to the semifinals with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Maria Elena Camerin.

In the Quebec City quarterfinals, Bethanie Mattek-Sands defeated wild card Rebecca Marino 6-4, 7-5. Christina Mchale defeated qualifier Alexa Glatch, and qualifier Tamira Paszek defeated Sophie Arvidsson. Number 3 seed Lucie Safarova had to content with a challenge from Melanie Oudin, but Safarova came back from a 0-3 score in the final set to win the match, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Zhang Shuai wins 13th ITF title in Hammond

Zhang Shuai, seeded 3rd, won the Tangipahoa Tourism/Loeb Law Firm 25k Tennis Classic in Hammond, Louisiana today, easily defeating Jamie Hampton, who was a different player today than she had been earlier in the week. Hampton's first serve, which has been a strength in this tournament, was off the mark in the final, and she made too many unforced errors to make the match as competitive as it could have been.

The match was somewhat of a letdown in more ways than one. The tournament director introduced Zhang as "Ching Chang," and--though he tried to make up for this gaffe at the awards presentation--he didn't do much better the second time.

Conditions were good today--pleasant temperatures and very little wind. Zhang went up 3-0 right away, with Hampton winning just a few games because she was making unforced errors. Serving at 1-4, deuce, Hampton held with the help of two high-kicking second serves. Zhang won the seventh game after Hampton rushed the net and the 3rd seed was able to get a backhand down the line past her. Zhang took the first set 6-2.

Hampton broke Zhang immediately when the second set began, and I probably wasn't the only one who thought we were going to get a competitive set. But Zhang broke her right back when Hampton once again had problems with her serve. The unforced errors continued to come off of Hampton's racquet, and Zhang won the second set 6-1.

Then an odd thing happened. Zhang shook hands with Hampton and then just sat down and put away her racquet; she never raised it so that she could hear the applause from the crowd. That wasn't the only strange thing about the end of the match. Hampton and Zhang were given their checks, each of them said a few words, and the ballboy holding Zhang's trophy was never asked to give it to her. He just stood there with it, and finally, he put it down. So there was no holding the trophy and hearing the applause from the crowd, either.

Zhang was kind enough to spend a little time with me after the match. I asked her what the hardest part of getting to the final and winning was, and she said that--in the last four matches--it was getting herself together and remaining calm, no matter what.

Zhang said she had hoped to go to Indian Wells, but she didn't get in, so she is going to the $25k tournament in Clearwater, Florida, after which she will play in the 25k tournament in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. And after that, Zhang heads to Miami. Her goal for the year, she said, is to get into the top 100. She is currently ranked number 145 in the world.

Finally, I asked today's champion which of her shots is her favorite, and she answered, "All of them!"

Zhang and Hampton to play in Hammond 25k final

Zhang Shuai won a hard-fought semifinal against Xu Yi-Fan

Jamie Hampton advanced to the final when Kurumi Nara retired because of illness

Zhang Shuai and Jamie Hampton will compete tomorrow for the championship of the 2010 25k challenger tournament in Hammond, Louisiana. Their playing styles are different, and their semifinal paths to the final were dramatically different.

Zhang, the 3rd seed, played her semifinal against the unseeded Xu Yi-Fan, who--with partner Zhou Yi-Maio--also won the doubles championship today. Xu, who plays left-handed, dominated in the first set, which she won 6-2, after going up 4-0. And, while the set was better than the scoreline indicates, Zhang took the second set 6-0. Xu made a number of unforced errors and lost most of the long rallies. Then the two players got down to business, and produced one of the best sets of tennis I've seen this year.

From the beginning of the set, it was obvious that both players had raised their levels, with Xu rushing the net from time to time, and hitting some good lobs. At 3-all, Xu was down 0-40, but brought the game to deuce. Zhang saved a game point with a forehand down the line, and went on to break Xu, but Xu broke her right back. It was during this game that the umpire called a ball in that was out, and Zhang became agitated and had trouble letting go of the issue.

Serving at 5-6, Zhang went down 0-40, and was broken at 15. But, true to the pattern of this match, she immediately broke back to set up a tiebreak. Xu went up a quick mini-break, and then it went to 2-all. Xu led at 4-2, then 5-2, then 5-3. That lead changed to 5-4, and then Zhanged squared it at 5-all. With Xu serving at 6-5, Zhang saved a match point with a wicked passing shot.

There was a long, outstanding rally, and at the end of it, Zhang was at match point, at 7-6. But Xu saved that match point. Then it was 7-all, then--when a moonball from Xu went long, Zhang had match point again at 8-7. Xu saved that one, too, creating even more excitement. However, Xu--seeing Zhang back on the baseline--attempted a drop shot that failed, giving Zhang her third match point. Xu saved that one, too, with a fast shot down-the-line. However, on her fourth match point, Zhang took the tiebreak--and the match--at 11-9.

Zhang will play Jamie Hampton in the final tomorrow. Hampton, who is unseeded, played 6th seed Kurumi Nara in the semifinals. During the first set, Nara--an especially good court mover-- was moving poorly, and simply did not look right. Hampton took the set easily, at 6-1, and 1-1 in the second set, Nara retired. She had become ill last night and tried to play through the illness, but she felt too sick to continue. This was a real letdown, not only to Nara, but to those of us who were watching.

Zhang goes to semifinals in Hammond 25k tournament

A calm and serious Zhang Shuai packs her racquet after defeating Heather Watson in straight sets

I returned to Hammond today, to the Tangipahoa Tourism/Loeb Law Firm $25K Tennis Classic, to watch some of the quarterfinal matches. One I was quite interested in was the match between 3rd seed Zhang Shuai and Heather Watson. Zhang, of course, has some fame for having defeated then-number 1 Dinara Safina in the third round of the 2009 China Open. Watson was the winner of the 2009 U.S. Open junior girls championship.

Watson went up a break right away, and proceeded to change the direction and the pace of the ball so successfully, she soon had a 5-1 lead. But then Zhang picked up her game and began passing Watson all over the place; she eventually broke Watson at love to bring the score to 5-all.

Toward the end of the first set, the wind picked up again, which didn't appear to bother either player. Zhang quickly went up 3-0. When Zhang served at 3-1, 30-15, Watson could see the match slipping away from her, and--though nothing extraordinary had occurred at that moment--she smacked her racquet a couple of times on the court. She then saved a game point with her own passing shot, and earned an ad point by drawing Zhang to the net and passing her again. Watson broke Zhang, and there was every reason to believe we were about to experience a momentum shift, but Zhang broke her right back. Down 2-5 and ever the Brit, Watson muttered "Just give up, Heather, really...."

Zhang finished the match with a 7-5, 6-2 score, and earned a spot in the semifinals, in which she will play Xu Yi-Fan, who won her quarterfinal when her opponent, 8th seed Stephanie Foretz, retired at 7-6, 1-3. I wasn't near the court when the retirement took place, so I don't know what the injury or illness was.

Another match of which I saw only a small portion was the quarterfinal between 6th seed Kurumi Nara and Zhou Yi-Miao, which Nara won, 6-1, 6-1. Nara will play Jamie Hampton in the semifinals.

All the Brits went out in doubles semifinal action today. Melanie South and Georgie Stoop lost to Xu Yi-Fan and Zhou Yi-Miao, and Naomi Broady and Heather Watson lost to Christina Fusano and Courtney Nagle.

Miscellany

Dinara Safina's defeat in Beijing by Zhang Shuai marks the first time a world number 1 player has been defeated by someone ranked lower than 200; Zhang is ranked number 226.

The Australian Open is increasing its prize money next year by 4.1 percent, to $21.4 million.

Evonne Goolagong Cawley was recently honored by the people of the place she considers her hometown--Barellan--via the unveiling of a giant replica of her Dunlop racquet.

Heather Watson will play Melanie South in the first round of a 50k tournament in Surrey this week.

Russia has won the 2009 Junior Fed Cup title.

Enough. I realize that U.S. commentators couldn't care less about how to pronounce the names of non-American (which would be almost all of them) players, but could Kevin Frazier please stop saying Chris "Everett"? And why on Earth doesn't someone at Tennis Channel edit those segments before airing them?

Safina makes early exit in Beijing

Last week, Chang Kai-Chen knocked world number 1 and defending champion Dinara Safina out of the Toray Pan Pacific Open, defeating her 7-6, 4-6, 7-45. Now, in the second round of the China Open, it's wild card Zhang Shuai who has dismissed Safina, 7-5, 7-6.

That wasn't the only upset. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova defeated 3rd seed Venus Williams 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Meanwhile, in a first-round match featuring two up-and-coming players, Alisa Kleybanova defeated wild card Yanina Wickmayer 5-7, 6-3, 6-3.

Sabine Lisicki had to retire in her first round match against Francesca Schiavone. There is an intestinal illness that is making its way through the tour, and now Lisicki has it. It's unfortunate that she had to retire again, but at least it wasn't an injury this time.