WTA Guangzhou, China

Dart beats Niemeier, Shnaider upsets Liu as women's tennis returns to China after four years

By Associated Press Sep 18, 2023
WTA Guangzhou, China

Wang Xiyu beats Magda Linette in Guangzhou to win her first WTA title

By Associated Press Sep 23, 2023
WTA Guangzhou, China

Karen Khachanov passes first test at Zhuhai, Magda Linette and Wang Xiyu through to Guangzhou final

By Associated Press Sep 22, 2023
WTA Guangzhou, China

Magda Linette leads top seeds into Guangzhou quarterfinals; men's events begin in Asia

By Associated Press Sep 20, 2023
WTA Guangzhou, China

Tatjana Maria and Lucia Bronzetti advance to the second round at the Guangzhou Open

By Associated Press Sep 19, 2023
WTA Guangzhou, China

Sofia Kenin beats Sam Stosur in Guangzhou for third WTA title of 2019

Sep 21, 2019
WTA Guangzhou, China

Top Photos, Laver Cup Day 1: Fedal fired up; Shapo catches some air

By Jordaan Sanford Sep 20, 2019
Nadal's farewell

Rafael Nadal and the importance of doing "what you have to do first"

By Liya Davidov Dec 21, 2024
pickleball

Nick Kyrgios to make pro pickleball debut in 2025 with Jack Sock in Australia

By Liya Davidov Dec 21, 2024
Tennis.com Interview

Mouratoglou Academy opens first full-fledged U.S. facility in Florida

By Joel Drucker Dec 21, 2024
WTA Guangzhou, China

Dart beats Niemeier, Shnaider upsets Liu as women's tennis returns to China after four years

The first round of the Guangzhou Open marked the return of elite women’s tennis to China for the first time since 2019.

ByAssociated Press

Published Sep 18, 2023

Advertising

FLAHBACK: Last year, protestors wore "Where is Peng Shuai?" shirts at Wimbledon.

GUANGZHOU, China (AP) — British qualifier Harriet Dart beat Jule Niemeier of Germany 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of the Guangzhou Open as elite women's tennis returned to China on Monday after four years.

Tournaments were cancelled in China due to COVID-19 travel restrictions in 2020. The WTA then suspended its events in the country in December 2021 over concerns about Grand Slam champion Peng Shuai's well-being after the Chinese player made sexual assault accusations against former vice premier Zhang Gaoli.

The WTA announced in April that it intended to return to China this season after assurances were received from those close to Peng that she was safe and well, and that "more progress could be made" by returning to the country than by staying away.

Dart, ranked No. 155, will next take on Belgian Greet Minnen, who defeated Diane Parry of France, 6-2, 6-2.

Diana Shnaider of Russia upset No. 8 seed Claire Liu of the United States 6-1, 6-3 while fifth-seeded Rebeka Masarova advanced with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Kateryna Baindl.

Advertising

In another upset, Denmark's Clara Tauson beat sixth-seeded Linda Fruhvirtova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 7-6 (6).

Top-seeded Magda Linette of Poland, ranked No. 27, lost the first set tie-breaker against Jodie Burrage before coming back to win 6-7 (3), 6-0, 6-2 in the day's longest match lasting 2 hours, 20 minutes.

——

AP tennis:

https://apnews.com/hub/tennis