Nudnida to take on Thassha
[TENNIS] Three local women, including top seed Nudnida Luangnam, marched into the quarter-finals of the US$10,000 (Bt380,000) PTT Bangkok Open ITF Women's Circuit 3 with contrasting victories at the Tennis Academy of Asia yesterday.
The in-form Nudnida dropped only two games to rout Mauritius's Marinne Giraud 6-0 6-2 in the second round under clear skies at Muang Thong Thani. The top seed has so far conceded just three games on her way to the final eight. She crushed Yuka Kuroda of Japan 6-1 6-0 in the opening round. After two disappointing weeks, where she lost in the second round in the first leg and a first-round exit in the second circuit, fifth-seeded Thassha Vitayaviroj finally found her groove. She came through a tough three-setter against Hong Kong's Yang Zi-jun 4-6 7-5 6-4 to set up a quarter-final date with the top seed. The third Thai survivor is unfancied Varatchaya Wongteanchai, who edged seventh-seeded Pichittra Thongdach 5-7 6-3 7-5 to reach her first ITF quarter-final. She will next play South Korean Lee Jin-a, a 6-1 6-0 winner over Daowadueng Phonkan. There was no Thai left in the second half of the draw as Varanya Vijuksanaboon went down to Dutch qualifier Selma Andrade7-5 6-3. The first week's champion, Chan Wing-Yau Venise of Hong Kong, is the only seed alive in the section. The eighth seed beat Indonesia's Vivien Tony 6-2 6-2. Uzbek Daliyara Saidkhodjaeva upset third-seeded Czarina-Mae Arevalo of the Philippines 6-3 6-1, while Chinese Lu Xi took the last spot when she won 6-3 7-5 over Australian Cassandra Chan. Meanwhile in Washington, Suchanan Viratprasert crashed out in the first round of the $75,000 Legg Mason Women's Pro Circuit on Wednesday. The Thai No 2 went down to second-seeded Viktoria Kutuzova of the Ukraine 6-1 7-5. Tamarine Tanasugarn is the last Thai in the tournament and she was set to play Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan in round two last night. Lerpong Amsa-ngiam The Nation
|
