“Maybe add more turns, but it’s already hard,” she said with a chuckle.

Asked about Zhang, Meissner — also a teen phenom when she became the first U.S. woman to land a triple axel in competition in 14 years when she did it in 2005 — added:

“I don’t know if I really envy her, we are at different stages. I’m happy she skated well, but I’m happy for myself.”

Ando, skating with an injured right shoulder, made a silly mistake that cost her. Although Ando probably wouldn’t have caught Meissner, she stumbled during footwork late in her routine.

“I made a stupid mistake on my straight line footwork,” she said. “I haven’t been fully trained. “

Otherwise, her jumps were solid and her spins were precise. But the program, to “Samson and Delilah,” lacked spark, and Ando has some work to do in Sunday’s free skate.

Indeed, she might need to look behind her at Zhang as much as ahead to Meissner.

The third U.S. competitor, Emily Hughes, was fourth, nearly nine points behind Zhang.

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures Flying on the hardwood, racing on the rink, getting physical on the gridiron, and much more. more photos

Also Saturday, Canada’s Jessice Dube and Bryce Davison upset China’s 2006 world champions Pang Qing and Tong Jian in an uninspiring pairs event. Dube and Davison scored their first significant international win — they are four-time Canadian champions — by besting their top score in the free skate, getting 112.46 points despite some bobbles.

“All we knew was their points, which were on the big screen and the speakers,” Davison said of the Chinese, who skated just before the Canadians. “We were going out there for us, and this afternoon, that works.”

U.S. champions Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto won the original dance with their bluegrass hoedown routine. Although the Olympic silver medalists skated a bit slowly for the rapid pace of their music, they still easily outdistanced second-place Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat of France.

“I think speed is a huge thing we have to work on,” Belbin said. “It’s good when the music is natural to you and you’ve grown up around it.”

MORE FROM FIGURE SKATING

Economy not clouding figure skating's future - yet

Economy not clouding figure skating's future - yet Joubert takes third Euro title Injury forces Meissner out of nationals Figure skating news and features   Add Figure skating headlines to your news reader: