Three Thais Make the Quarter-finals

Varanya Vijuksanaboon hits a backhand to Chinese Shao Shi-Tong.

The top seed Napaporn made her second quarter-final appearance since March in Perth, staging a comeback win over India's Sanaa Bhambri of India  5-7 6-2 6-2 in round two. She is tuning herself up for the University Games and appears back on track after losing five straight first rounds.

The 27-year-old lines up a date with Lu Jia Xiang of China who dashed the hope of local wildcard holder Kanyapat Narattana 6-2 6-7 (6-8) 6-2.

Teen sensation Noppawan  joined Napaporn in the last eights after she vanquished Keren Shlomo of Israel 6-1 6-2. Hitting the ball with two hands from both sides, the 15-year-old girl will play South Korean Kim Sun-Jung who knocked second-seeded Rushmi Chakravarthi of India 6-3 2-6 6-3 out of competition.

Varanya  Vijuksanaboon booked a back-to-back quarter-final berth following her convincing 6-1 6-3 victory over Shao Shi-Tong of China in the all-qualifier clash. The Roi Et- born, also a quarter-finalist last week,  will play a winner between third-seeded  Liang Chen of China or first leg champion Vlada Ekshibarova of Uzbekistan.

Two seeded players were upended on with second-seeded Rushmi Chakravarthi of India falling to Kim Sun-Jung of South Korea  3-6 6-2 3-6 and fourth-seeded Chen Yi of Taiwan losing to Jessy Rompies of Indonesia 6-7 (6-8) 3-6.

Sixth-seeded Isha  Lakhani was the last Indian hope in the tournament as she survived fight with Uzbek qualifier Dilyara Saidkhodjaeva with a 7-5 7-5 score line.

Lerpong Amsa-ngiam

The Nation