Published on May 23, 2005

Napaporn will need strength

Thailand’s No 3 Napaporn Tongsalee will need to put her Vietnam defeat behind her if she is to lead the local challenge in the US$25,000 (Bt1 million) TAT Phuket Women’s Open this week.

On Saturday, the Fed Cup player, who is ranked No 306 in the world, went down hopelessly to Indonesian Wynne Prakusya 6-0 6-2 in the US$25,000 Women’s ITF tournament in Ho Chi Minh City.

The reigning National Games champion is seeded fourth this week in Phuket and will open her campaign against Australian qualifier Andrea Lipovska in the first round.

Another national player, Monthinee Tangphong, is in an all-Thai first round match against teenager Pornthip Mulsap. Rising star Thassha Vitayaviroj plays Indian Megha Vakharia while Nudnida Luangnam faces qualifier Prim Buaklee.

The other two Thais who made their way from the qualification round to the main draw are Orawan Lamangthong and Kunkanda Pukjampa. The top three seeds are Japanese teenager Ryko Fuda, Briton Emily Webley-Smith and Uzbek Akul Amanmuradova, who won an ITF title in Bangkok last year.

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