Hingis celebrates speedy victory in China

[TENNIS] BEIJING -  Martina Hingis beat China's Sun Tiantian 6-2, 6-3 on Tuesday to spark a run of home defeats for locals at the China Open.

 The fifth seed launched a successful career debut in Asia's most-populated country with her steamrolling defeat in 58 minutes with five breaks of serve.

 Sun, ranked 142, was eclipsed by the Swiss on day two following a

postponement of the rain-hit contest from Monday at the Beijing tennis centre.

 "She started well with some good returns," said Hingis, who lost her first time at serve in a surprise start. "I was able to break her back immediately and gain some confidence."

   Two more Chinese players were eliminated, with Peng Shuai, coached by Michael Chang in the run-up to the Beijing Games next year, stopping compatriot Xu Yi-fan 6-1, 6-4 and American qualifier Abigail Spears coming good over Yan Zi 7-5, 6-3.

 Hingis is familiar with that winning feeling in Tokyo, where she holds a record five titles and lifted her 43rd trophy,overall in February - but the 26-year-old former prodigy is currently looking for salvation in China.

 She reached her last quarter-final last March at Doha, with seven events coming and going without matching that showing.

 Hingis has been working her way through hip and back injuries which have compromised her game and took a third-round loss at the US Open.

 She will next bid to eliminate the last Chinese player in the field when she meets Peng, a 2006 semi-finals in 2006 who lost to eventual champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.

 "I'll have to be ready from the first point, not the first game," joked the Swiss.

 Japan's Akiko Morigami scored a minor upset,putting out Spain's seventh seed Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-4, 6-4.

 Eleni Daniilidou, the number eight, pulled her game together after losing last week in Bali to Lindsay Davenport, beating Olga Govortsova of  the Ukraine 6-2, 6-1.

 Kuznetsova, Jelena Jankovic, Amelie Mauresmo and Elena Dementieva, the top four seeds, all received opening byes.

DPA