Wozniacki survives first round in Tokyo

Sep 30, 2008 - 1:46 PM TOKYO (Ticker) -- Top-seeded Carolina Wozniacki was pushed to the brink at the Japan Open on Tuesday, but managed to survive.

The Denmark teenager rallied for a 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory over Argentina's Gisela Dulko in the first round of the Tier III hardcourt event.

The world's 16th-ranked player, Wozniacki is looking for a better performance in her return to Tokyo. Two weeks ago, the 18-year-old lost in straight sets to Katarina Srebotnik in the opening round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open.

Wozniacki also struggled last week at Beijing, where she lost her first-round match with Anabel Medina Garrigues. She next will face Japanese wild card Ayumi Morita in the second round.

Third-seeded Zheng Zie had been playing well on home soil in China recently, but that run of success came to an abrupt end here on Tuesday when she was stunned, 6-1, 6-2, by Russian qualifier Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the opening round.

A semifinalist at Guangzhou and Beijing during the past two weeks, Zheng reached a career-best ranking of 26th on Monday. However, she struggled mightily against the 17-year-old, converting just 11-of-31 first serve points.

Ranked 76th in the world, Pavlyuchenkova converted seven-of-eight break points and closed out the match in an hour to setup a meeting with fellow qualifier Rika Fujiwara or Japan.

The other surprise was turned in by Klara Zakopalova, who ousted the fourth-seeded Maria Kirilenko, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5, to earn her first win in four meetings with the Russian.

The unseeded Czech, who faces Marta Domachowska of Poland next, hasn't won a title since claiming her second at the Tier IV event in Portoroz three years ago.

Sixth seed Shahar Peer of Israel, a potential semifinal opponent for the No. 1 Wozniacki, posted a decisive 6-3, 6-1 victory over Japan's Kimiko Date Krumm. Other seeds moving into the second round were No. 7 Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand and eighth-seeded Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak.

First prize is $28,000.