Taipei, Jan. 21 (CNA) Taiwan's Hsieh Su-wei and Chuang Chia-jung upset higher-ranked opponents while Chan Yung-jan cruised to a win with her Polish partner as both teams advanced to the third round of the women's doubles Friday at the Australian Open.
Veteran doubles specialists Hsieh and Chuang beat the 13th-seeded Russian pair of Elena Vesnina and Vera Zvonereva 6-2, 6-2 to set up an encounter with unseeded Patty Schnyder of Switzerland and Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany.
Schnyder and Groenefeld knocked out the fourth-seeded Spanish duo of Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in the second round.
Hsieh and Chuang, considered along with Chan to be Taiwan's most accomplished female doubles players, have teamed up in many events on the women's tour but have never partnered in a Grand Slam event.
Chan and Agnieszka Radwanska breezed past the Swedish duo Sofia Arvidsson and Johanna Larsson 6-1, 6-2.
The three women are hoping that Melbourne will prove lucky for them again after having made strong runs there in the women's doubles in previous years.
Chan and Chuang were finalists in the event in 2007 and semifinalists a year later, while Chan and Hsieh teamed up to reach the third round of the year's first Grand Slam in 2009.
On the men's side, world No. 37 Lu Yen-hsun, who lost his opening round singles match on Monday, had his stay in Melbourne end Friday after losing in the second round of the men's doubles.
Lu and German partner Rainer Schuettler lost 6-2, 6-3 to the fifth-seeded Polish pair of Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski.
In the mixed doubles first round, Chuang Chia-jung teamed up with Belgium Dick Norman for a 6-3, 3-6, 13-11 victory over Australia's Alicia Molik and Peter Luczak.
Aside from Lu, the only other Taiwanese player entered in a main singles draw of the Australian Open -- Chang Kai-chen on the woman's side -- was also eliminated in the first round. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls