Peng to continue heavy WTA schedule

World No.21 Peng Shuai will continue to play singles and doubles on the WTA Tour but will train harder to protect her body following her US Open meltdown.

Peng Shuai still intends to play a hectic doubles schedule despite making it to the last four of a Grand Slam singles tournament for the first time last week.

But the Chinese world number 21, who retired through cramp and heatstroke against Caroline Wozniacki in the US Open semi-final last Friday, admitted she will need to improve her fitness.

"I'll still be focused on singles and doubles," she told reporters in Hong Kong.

"But what I learnt at the US Open was that in future I have to take care of my body.

"If I do that in the future I'm sure I can handle it better."

Peng was speaking on her return to Asia at the $250,000 WTA Hong Kong Open, where she had been due to play this week before pulling out on doctor's orders.

Peng, who has been ranked number one in doubles and has lifted two Grand Slams -- at Wimbledon in 2013 and at the French Open this year -- with Hsieh Su-Wei of Taiwan, confirmed they would reform one last time to defend their title at the WTA World Finals in Singapore next month.

Their participation had been in doubt after they announced they would split after losing in the last 16 of the US Open.

On court on Thursday, second seed Daniel Hantuchova of Slovakia became the fourth seed to fall when she was beaten by the 20-year-old Belgian Alison van Uytvanck 3-6 6-2 6-4.

The 31-year-old Hantuchova seemed to suffer more from the stifling heat and humidity and was stunned as the youngster rallied from a set down to progress to the quarter-finals after a two-hour 20 minute battle.

Number three seed Karolina Pliskova had no such problems against Puerto Rica's Monica Puig, the Czech winning 6-3 6-4 in 75 minutes to set up a quarter-final on Friday against number five seed Zheng Jie of China, who beat countrywoman Zhang Kai-Lin 6-1 6-4.

Number seven seed Jana Cepelova of Slovakia is also through to the last eight after a 6-1 6-3 win against Zhu Lin of China.


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