Radwanska ends Chinese challenge in Beijing

Agnieszka Radwanska ended Chinese hopes on the women's side of the China Open on Wednesday with a 6-1, 6-4 second-round win over Zheng Jie.

Agnieszka Radwanska ended Chinese hopes on the women's side of the China Open on Wednesday with a 6-1, 6-4 second-round win over Zheng Jie.

The 11th seed from Poland took an hour and a quarter to win in the Chinese capital's showcase event, saving five of six break points in the match and breaking Jie four times.

Radwanska is bidding for a second consecutive Asian title after winning the Pan Pacific last week in Tokyo.

Local fans were pinning their hopes on Jie after French Open winner and national sporting heroine Li Na, ranked sixth in the world, crashed out in the first round of the ATP-WTA event.

Her victor, Romanian Monica Niculescu, proved her performance was no fluke, advancing to the third round after defeating Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa 6-2, 6-1.

Second seed Victoria Azarenka also went through at the National Tennis Centre, with a 7-6 (10/8), 6-3 victory over Polona Hercog of Slovenia.

Azarenka, who lost to Radwanska in the semi-final in Tokyo, faces Russian 13th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the next round.

In the men's draw, unseeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco defeated Italy's Flavio Cipolla 2-6, 6-1, 6-2.