Hong Kong Tennis Open: Chinese hopes go up in smoke as Wang Xinyu limps out in second round
- Fourth seed sees her service game broken eight times in sloppy 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 loss to Sara Sorribes Tormo at Victoria Park
- Long-term knee injury threatens to end Wang’s season early, as she admits ‘the body comes first’ with one eye on 2024
Another seed bit the dust on Thursday at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open, with China’s injury-hampered Wang Xinyu turfed out in three sets by Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo.
Fourth seed Wang saw her service game broken 8 times in what was a sloppy outing for both players, losing 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 in two hours and 15 minutes on Centre Court at the Victoria Park Tennis Stadium.
The world No 32 struggled with a long-term left knee injury, which required strapping, and hinted she could now end her season early.
“I’ve had this injury for a while now and you cannot really get rest because I’ve been playing tournaments, and playing good, so I’ve been going deeper,” Wang said after her loss.
“It’s good to keep pushing and play maybe one or two more tournaments this year. If you can be seeded for next year at the [grand] slams it will be good, but I think the body comes first, let’s see.”
Wang will have fancied her chances of glory this week, given the top seed Victoria Azarenka’s injury withdrawal, and defending champion Dayana Yastremska’s first-round exit.
