INQUIRER Sports

BEIJING -- World number two Jelena Jankovic continued her bid for the top women's ranking with an opening win in the China Open Wednesday as local favorite Zheng Jie restored wounded local pride.

Top seed Jankovic will play Daniela Hantuchova in the quarter-finals in Beijing after beating Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak 6-3, 7-5 on a rain-interrupted day.

A tournament win here for Jankovic, who had a brief spell as world number one in August, would take her to within a handful of points of Serena Williams at the top of the women's game.

The Serbian was pushed hard by her powerful opponent in a hard-fought second set but eventually prevailed.

In a see-saw match earlier in the evening Hantuchova, the Slovakian seventh seed, beat Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-1, 0-6, 7-5.

The world number 13 looked set for a routine victory after taking the first set easily but her Thai opponent came back strongly.

"The conditions were extremely difficult and the balls were so heavy it was difficult to put any winners past her because she was moving so well," said Hantuchova.

"I've never played in this cold. There was fog coming out of my mouth. I thought maybe I should go skiing instead of playing tennis," she added.

Play was suspended until mid-afternoon due to steady rain, but when the action got underway, China's Zheng completed a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 win over Agnieszka Radwanska.

Her win came after four players from the host nation crashed out of the women's draw Tuesday, including the country's top player Li Na.

Wimbledon semi-finalist Zheng said her first round victory over the 10th-ranked Pole would be a boost.

"To beat a top-ten player I think will give me more confidence and I hope I will end the year with a higher ranking," added Zheng, who reached a career-high of number 27 in 2006.

In other first round results Wednesday, men's fifth seed Fernando Verdasco eased through against Bobby Reynolds 6-3, 6-3 and US eighth seed Sam Querrey survived a scare, battling back against compatriot Jesse Levine to win 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).

Jankovic and fellow Serb Ana Ivanovic are the top two seeds at the $600,000 China Open, with both chasing the women's number one spot.

In the men's $524,000 tournament, 2007 champion and Olympic silver medallist Fernando Gonzalez, who starts his defense Thursday, will face a tough battle to retain his title in Beijing, with top seeds David Ferrer and Andy Roddick in the hunt.