TOKYO: Defending champion Feng Shanshan birdied five of her last seven holes as she recovered from a slow start to share a seven-way tie for the lead at the LPGA Japan Classic on Friday.
China’s Feng, who is looking to become the first player to defend an LPGA title in 2017, has been a top-seven finisher in five out of her last six starts.
After 11 holes, the world number four was only one-under at the tournament in Ibaraki before she got into her stride to finish at six-under-par 66.
“I did start the day slowly, just like usual, and then I got my first birdie on the eighth hole finally,” said Feng, according to the LPGA website.
“My five-iron was really working so it left me a lot of birdie chances and I even missed one five-foot birdie. I still made four in a row in the last five holes, so I’m really happy about that.”
Feng shared the lead with Americans Lizette Salas and Jane Park, Min-Young Lee of South Korea and Japan’s own Nasa Hataoka, Saiki Fujita and Ai Suzuki.
Salas bogeyed her first hole of the day but bounced back with seven birdies over the rest of her round.
She says she is feeling confident with the greens as she eyes her first win of the year.
“They’re slick (and) they’re fast, which are the kind of greens I like to be on,” she said.
Park is also looking for her first win of the year, having notched just two top-10 finishes in 2017.
She changed her whole bag around this week, putting different shafts on her irons and wedges, a different head on her driver, and a new grip on her putter.
The tweaks clearly worked.
She made just one bogey and ended her day with four straight birdies.
Birdie blitz puts Feng among leaders in LPGA Japan Classic
Birdie blitz puts Feng among leaders in LPGA Japan Classic
Alcaraz, Sabalenka star as Australian Open second round begins
- Sabalenka also has a point to prove after being upset by Madison Keys in last year’s final as the overwhelming favorite
MELBOURNE: Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka resume their quest for more Grand Slam glory on Wednesday, headlining the day four action at the Australian Open.
Three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev is also on a mission to safely negotiate the second round at Melbourne Park, as are third seeds Coco Gauff and Alexander Zverev.
Alcaraz started his bid for a career Grand Slam with a three-set defeat of home hope Adam Walton on Sunday and faces German Yannick Hanfmann.
He is the star attraction in the afternoon session on Rod Laver Arena, following Sabalenka onto the center court.
The Belarusian takes on China’s Bai Zhuoxuan in her bid for a third Australian Open title in four years after dropping just five games in her tournament opener.
Spanish superstar Alcaraz already has six major titles aged 22, but success on the Melbourne Park hardcourts remains a glaring hole in his resume.
He has not made it past the quarter-finals in four trips to Australia.
“I just really want to perform better than I did previous years,” he said.
“So I just feel this year probably it is one of those years that I will be able to, or will have the chance, to go further.”
Sabalenka also has a point to prove after being upset by Madison Keys in last year’s final as the overwhelming favorite.
After winning the lead-up Brisbane International, she was in ominous form in her first-round clash, coming to the net 22 times as she adds more serve and volley to her repertoire.
“I think it’s very important to always be working on your game, always developing as a player, always searching for something that is new, that is going to help your game,” she said.
The unpredictable Medvedev, runner-up in 2021, 2022 and 2024, is trying to keep his emotions in check this year and will again be put to the test against Frenchman Quentin Halys on John Cain Arena.
Gauff takes on Venus Williams’ conqueror Olga Danilovic of Serbia after a straight-sets first round win as she looks to better her best performance in Melbourne which was a semifinal in 2024.
Zverev is in action in an evening match on John Cain Arena against France’s Alexandre Muller, the latest challenge in the German’s decade-long quest for a first Grand Slam title.
The world number three, runner-up last year to Jannik Sinner, dropped a set in his opening clash but said it was good to be stretched early in the tournament.
“It’s a positive for sure,” he said.
“Because you have been tested and you know where you are and you know where your level is at, especially in difficult moments.”
Home hopes dominate the evening action on Rod Laver Arena with sixth seed Alex De Minaur facing Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic before Priscilla Hon meets American Iva Jovic.
