 Robson completes an impressive qualifying run |
Britain's Laura Robson progressed to the main draw of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo with an impressive 2-6 6-2 6-4 win over Romania's Simona Halep. The 16-year-old Londoner, who beat world number 57 Anastasija Sevastova in the last round, sealed the win with a break in the final game of the decider. Robson will play Greta Arn with the winner taking on Caroline Wozniacki. Arn qualified for the tournament proper with a 6-0 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 defeat of British number one Elena Baltacha. Robson made up a deficit of 127 ranking places in beating world number 100 Halep, but Baltacha found Arn in uncooperative mood once again. Balata is ranked 56 places above the world number 106, but had succumbed in both their previous meetings, most recently in qualifying in Rome earlier this season.  | 606: DEBATE |
World number 41 Jarmila Groth also failed to make her way into the tournament proper after 18-year-old Coco Vandeweghe of the United States won their encounter 6-4 7-6 (7-2). World number one Serena Williams has withdrawn from the tournament, which begins on Sunday, as she continues to recover from a foot injury, but the field remains very strong. World number two Wozniacki is the top seed with US Open runner-up Vera Zvonareva, world number six Jelena Jankovic, French Open champion Francesca Schiavone and defending champion Maria Sharapova among the entrants. In the Korea Open in Seoul, Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic advanced to the final as top seed Nadia Petrova retired from the opening set of their semi-final with the score at 4-5. The unseeded Zakopalova will play Alisa Kleybanova in the final after the Russian overcame Hungary's Agnes Szavay 6-3 6-2.
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