Argentine Mariana Diaz-Oliva hits a forehand return to Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain yesterday during the PTT Bangkok Open.

Argentine Mariana Diaz-Oliva will have to postpone her retirement from tennis after she pulled off the biggest upset in the US$200,000 PTT Bangkok Open yesterday with a stunning win over second-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain.

After 14 long years on the circuit Diaz-Oliva, ranked only No 219 in the world, is playing her last tournament in Bangkok and was ready to hang up her racquet if she lost yesterday to a player who

had a perfect 3-0 record against her.

But the 30-year-old qualifier lives to play another day after coming back from a 7-6 (7-4) loss in the first set to defeat the Spaniard in the next two sets 6-3 6-4.

"It's so special to finally beat her in the last tournament of my career. Every time we played, it was always tough," said Diaz-Oliva, who plans to marry Italian boyfriend Pablo Rondinoni on December 8.

"After the first set I was thinking a lot about my tennis in the past 14 years. But after I won the second, I started thinking I can win the match.

"I was more patient and even though I was tired, I continued to focus as I really wanted to win," added Diaz-Oliva, who said her body suggested it be time to

turn her back on the sport she loves.

"I will be happy with my career whenever it ends. I reached No 16 in the doubles, have one title and beat good players.

"I don't want to continue any more because I am tried and I think I don't have the talent to be No 1 in the world."

The Argentine next plays Japan's Aiko Nakamura, who dashed the hopes of local wild card entrant Nudnida Luangnam with an easy 6-1 6-4 win.

In another upset yesterday, 17-year-old Vania King of the US moved past former world No 8 Alicia Molik of Australia 6-1 7-5 in their third encounter this year.

"I knew before today's match that I needed to be really aggressive because if she was the aggressor it would have been difficult for me to win.

"Holding my serve and serving really well was the key for me today," said the rising American star whose favourite food is Thai noodles.

Third-seed Nathalie Dechy of France advanced past China's Yan Zi 6-4 6-4 in her first match in the Kingdom.

Like other first time tourists, the Frenchwoman discovered the humidity here is an obstacle.

"It's amazingly humid here. I think I sweated more today than I ever have before in a tennis match," said the 42nd ranked Dechy, who has now won two of three matches against the Chinese.

Former world No 12 Dechy will play Sybille Brammer of Austria in the second round today.

The two have met three times this year with the Austrian leading 2-1. "We laughed that it was impossible that we are playing each

other again.

"Sometimes that happens - you just keep playing the same player for six months and then you don't play each other for ages."

In other first round matches, Japan's Erika Takao beat Russian Alina Jidkova 6-3 6-1, Jelena Kostanic of Croatia rallied back to beat Chinese qualifier Meng Yuan 5-7 6-4 7-6 (7-5), while Greek fifth-seed Eleni Danillidou beat Taiwan qualifier Hsieh Su-wei 4-6 6-4 6-3.

Klara Zakopalova of Czech Republic beat Sun Tian-tian of China 6-4 4-6 6-3.

Severine Bremond of France overcame a tough challenge from Japanese teenager Ryoko Fuda of Japan before prevailing 6-2 2-6

7-5.

Today local women's No 1 Tamarine Tanasugarn, the last Thai left in the tournament, will play American Jamea Jackson in the second round at about 5pm on centre court.

Jackson, a power player, holds a 2-0 record over the Thai with wins in the Australian Open in Melbourne and another win in Surbiton, England, this year in the build-up to Wimbledon.

Lerpong Amsa-ngiam

The Nation