Lucie dumps top seed Naiktha

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Jumpei Masayaki of Japan secured his second win in the boys singles after beating Brandon Laubser of South Africa 6-0, 6-2 yesterday. — Photos by Chai Chang Yu

KUCHING: Lucie Kankova of Czech Republic created the biggest upset of the 25th Sarawak Chief Minister’s Cup (I) ITF Junior Tennis Championship (Grade 1) yesterday when she sent the top seed Naikhta Bairns of Australia packing in the girls singles last 16.

The ITF No. 186 and tournament 16th seed Lucie, who was playing her first singles match at the Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association tennis centre, destroyed ITF No. 23 Naiktha in straight sets of 6-4, 6-3 that took two hours.

Her next opponent in today’s quarterfinals will be Mihika Yadav, the seventh seed from India who overcame Japan’s Mayuka Aikawa 6-3, 6-3.

“I am happy to win today and it was my first match in the girls singles. I got a bye in the first round and I had a walkover win over a Hong Kong player (Jacqueline Lam Wing Kiu) yesterday.

“I played well today and just played my game against Naiktha. Although I knew she is the top seed, I still do not know her game and it was a 50-50 match for both of us. I am glad that I won,” said Lucie.

The 15-year old is hoping to advance to the final stages of the competition and said like everyone else, she wants to win in Kuching.

“I hope to win again tomorrow and then take one match at a time,” Lucie said.

Her campaign in the girls doubles ended yesterday when she and partner Natalie Kallmunerzova lost 6-3, 2-6, 3-10 to the top seeded pair from Australia Naiktha Bairns and Olivia Tjandramulia in the quarterfinals.

Tournament second seed from China Zheng Wushuang continued with her impressive form to dump Thailand’s Thasaporn Naklo 6-0, 6-1 while the third seed Pranjala Yadlapalli of India outplayed 13th seed Natsuho Arakawa 7-5, 6-4 and the fourth seed Deria Nur Haliza of Indonesia defeated her opponent Jaimee Fourlis from Australia, the 15th seed 6-3, 6-7 (1), 6-4.

Deria Nur Haliza of Indonesia returns a shot to Jaimee Fourlis of Australia in the second last 16 of the girls singles competition at the 25th Sarawak Chief Minister’s Cup (I) ITF Junior Tennis Championship (Grade 1) yesterday. Deria won 6-3, 6-7(1), 6-4.

Meanwhile, Malaysia has no player left in the boys singles competition after Koay Hao Sheng, who had the misfortune to suffer broken strings on his racquets, bowed out 1-6, 1-6 to fourth seed Nam Hoang Ly of Vietnam in the last 16.

The Vietnamese set up a quarterfinal meeting with China’s Wu Yibing, the 10th seed, after the latter upstaged eighth seed Yusuke Takahashi 6-4, 6-4.

However, Yusuke’s compatriot and top seed Jumpei Yamasaki had little problem in overcoming 16th seed Brandon Laubser of South Africa 6-0, 6-2.

He next faces sixth seeded player Kwon Soon Woo of South Korea in the last eight.

Soon Woo has also advanced to the semi-finals of the boys doubles after partnering Oh Chan-Yeong as the top seeded pair to beat Toru Horie (Japan) and Kody Pearson (Australia) 6-1, 6-0.

The second seeds from Japan Yusuke Takahashi-Jumpei Yamasaki were dumped in the quarterfinals 4-6, 6-2, (10-5) by seventh seeds Lloyd Harris and Brandon Laubser from South Africa.

Two other pairs – Alberto Lim (Philippines) and Nam Hoang Ly (Vietnam), and China’s Wu Hao-Wu Yubing also advanced to the last four.