KUALA LUMPUR — Danish star Caroline Wozniacki booked a place in the quarterfinals of the Malaysian Open after dispatching China's Lin Zhu in straight sets Thursday. The Chinese player put up a good showing in the first set but was overpowered in the second by the top-seeded Dane who won 6-4, 6-1.
“That was my first time playing Zhu and she played a flat game ... she was aggressive throughout the match and credit to her for playing a good match, especially in the first set,” said Wozniacki.
“For tomorrow's quarterfinal match I will be out there fighting to win and do my best.”
Wozniacki will meet Germany's 20-year-old Carina Witthoeft Friday.
Witthoeft, ranked 81st in the world, got past fifth-seeded Klara Koukalova from the Czech Republic 7-6 (7-3), 6-0 to ensure her meeting with Wozniacki.
In another match, 2012's Malaysian Open champion Su-Wei Hsieh from Taiwan defeated Japan's Misa Eguchi 6-3, 3-6, 6-0.
Hsieh will meet little-known Elizaveta Kulichkova from Russia Friday. The players, who are on form and showing good momentum in the tournament, will be clashing for the first time.
The Russian who is ranked 171st has been a bit of a sensation so far, advancing in the competition by knocking out players ranked higher than her, including seventh-seed Bojana Jovanovski from Serbia.
In other quarterfinal matches Friday, Julia Goerges from Germany will meet Romania's Alexandra Dulgheru and Japan's Kurumi Nara will face Australia's Jarmila Gajdosova.
Ivanovic in form
In Mexico, top-seeded defending champion Ana Ivanovic of Serbia advanced to the quarterfinals in the Monterrey Open Wednesday night, beating Pauline Parmentier of France 6-3, 6-2.
Ivanovic will face France's Kristina Mladenovic, a 6-4, 6-2 winner over Russia's Vera Zvonareva in the hard-court event at Sierra Madre Tennis Club.
Second-seeded Sara Errani of Italy and eighth-seeded Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia also won second-round matches. Errani beat Timea Babos of Hungary 6-3, 6-3, and Rybarikova outlasted Polona Hercog of Slovenia of 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (9).
Del Potro receives Indian Wells wildcard
Former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro has received a wild card into Indian Wells, the first ATP Masters tournament of 2015, organizers said Wednesday.
Tournament director Steve Simon announced the invitation to del Potro along with 11 other wildcards a week before women's first-round play begins in the combined ATP and WTA event.
Argentina's del Potro, who won the 2009 US Open, reached the quarterfinals at Sydney in January.
He then had left wrist surgery on Jan. 19, and will be playing just his second tournament of 2015.
Del Potro has played in the hardcourt tournament in the California desert five times, with his best result a finals appearance in 2013.
Ten American wildcards were announced Wednesday.
They include Ryan Harrison and Tim Smyczek, who battled Rafael Nadal in a four-hour, five-set second-round match at the Australian Open in which Smyczek was lauded for allowing Nadal to replay a serve late in the match after a disruption from the crowd.
Croatian 18-year-old Donna Vekic, who won the first WTA title of her career at Kuala Lumpur last season, has also received a wildcard.
A key women's wildcard was awarded earlier this year to world No. 1 and two-time Indian Wells champion Serena Williams.
Williams had vowed not to play at Indian Wells again after she was booed en route to victory over Kim Clijsters in the 2001 final after her sister Venus had withdrawn from their scheduled all-Williams semifinal. — Agencies
