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BMW MALAYSIAN OPEN: Be wary of the jinx

TREAD CAREFULLY: Bad omen for top seeds and defending champions

THE WTA BMW Malaysian Open is a jinx for top seeds and defending champions.
Since the tournament's inception in 2010, none of the top three seeds have won the title while the defending champions have also fared poorly.

Russian Elena Dementieva was the only top seed to reach the final, achieved three years ago, but the now-retired player was upset by compatriot and fourth seed Alisa Kleybanova while China's second seed Li Na bowed out in the first round.

Unseeded Australian Jelena Dokic won in the following year, overcoming Czech Republic's Lucie Safarova in the final. Italian Francesco Schiavone and Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli, the top two seeds, were ousted in early rounds.

Taiwan's Hsieh Su Wei was the first qualifier to win the singles title in last year's edition after her opponent Petra Martic of Croatia withdrew in the third set. Poland's top seed Agnieszka Radwanska and Serbia's second seed Jelena Jankovic failed to make an impact on the tournament.
Former World No 1 Caroline Wozniacki and Su Wei, the top two seeds, are aiming to end the jinx this year.

"I have been playing some good tennis in the last few tournaments and hopefully, I can go far and win here. I want to continue playing well," said Caroline, who has won 20 career titles.
The 22-year-old Dane will open against a qualifier.

Su Wei, who played in Kuala Lumpur as a teenager, is delighted to return and, hopefully, win her third career title.

"I do not pressure myself by thinking whether I can win titles. I enjoy playing tennis and normally take it one match at a time in tournaments. The weather and the courts here are perfect for me," said Su Wei, who plays Japan's Kurumi Nara in the first round.

Russian Anatasia Pavlyuchenkova and Japanese Ayumi Morita are the third and fourth seeds.

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Hsieh Su Wei autographs a giant tennis ball for the CEO of BMW Group Malaysia Dr Gerhard Pils at the launch of the WTA Malaysian Open yesterday. Pic by Goh Thean Howe


By AJITPAL SINGH & FADHLI ISHAK | nstsport@nst.com.my


Read more: TENNIS / BMW MALAYSIAN OPEN: Be wary of the jinx - Other - New Straits Times

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