Medina Garrigues advances in Tokyo

Oct 1, 2008 - 2:00 PM TOKYO (Ticker) -- It was not easy, but Anabel Medina Garrigues managed to escape the first round at the AIG Japan Open.

The second-seeded Spaniard rallied for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Chan Yung-Jan of Chinese Taipei on Wednesday.

The 28th-ranked Medina Garrigues advanced to her third final this season at Portoroz in late July, but has been unable to build on that momentum. After advancing to the quarterfinals at Stockholm, the 26-year-old crashed out of the Beijing Olympics in the first round before departing the U.S. Open in the second round.

Following a pair of losses in the Fed Cup final against Russia, Medina Garrigues advanced to the quarterfinals in Beijing last week but was ousted by world No. 9 Vera Zvonareva.

Her struggles continued in the first set against Chan, who fired three aces and saved nine of 11 break points to take the early lead. But Medina Garrigues rebounded in the second and third sets by forging eight break points, winning five en route to the three-set victory in 2 hours, 32 minutes.

Medina Garrigues advanced to face Australia's Samantha Stosur, who won the opening set in her match against Vania King before the American retired with a hamstring injury.

Fifth-seeded Kaia Kanepi of Estonia also dropped the first set in her second-round match at this $175,000 Tier III event but bounced back to claim a 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 triumph over Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer.

Israel's Shahar Peer was not as lucky, falling to lucky loser Jarmila Gajdosova of Slovakia, 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (11-9) in the second round.

Advancing to the round of eight on Wednesday was seventh seed Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand, who booked her spot by posting a 6-2, 6-2 victory over France's Camille Pin.

First prize is $28,000.