KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA — CHINA’S Liang Chen is focused on winning her second ALYA Malaysian Open doubles title as she partners compatriot Zheng Saisai for the first time in her career in the competition at TPC Kuala Lumpur.
The main draw singles and doubles matches start tomorrow.
Liang Chen, who turned 28 yesterday, won the doubles event in Kuala Lumpur in 2015 with compatriot Wang Yafan.
The pair also made the final last year but lost 4-6, 6-4, 10-7 to Yang Zhaoxuan of China and Varatchaya Wongteanchai of Thailand.
Liang Chen hopes she and Zheng Saisai will be able to make a breakthrough in the ALYA Malaysian Open as they plan to have a long-term partnership.
Zheng Saisai is also eager to get it right this time following two unsuccessful bids to win the ALYA Malaysian Open doubles title.
The 23-year-old and partner Chan Yung Jan of Taiwan were runners-up in 2014. Last year, she can Taiwan’s Chang Kai Chen lost in the semi-finals.
In the draw conducted today, Liang Chen-Zheng Saisai, the top seeds, will take on Russians Natela Dzalamidze-Veronika Kudermetova in the opening round.
Barring upsets, the China pair will play fourth seeds Nicole Melichar of the United States and Makoto Ninomiya of Japan in the semi-finals.
For the record, Liang Chen has won seven doubles titles in the tour while Zheng Saisai has notched four wins.
Second seeds Shuko Aoyama of Japan and Yang Zhaoxuan of China have been drawn to face unseeded S. Theiviya of Malaysia and Beatrice Gumulya of Indonesia in the first round.
The third seeds are the Maria Irigoyen of Argentina and Paula Kania of Poland.
