China Taipei fine run comes to a halt

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GOING DOWN: Loo Shi Pei of Malaysia returns a shot to her opponent from Indonesia Shevita Aulana in the play-off for ninth to 16th placing at the Asia-Oceania Final Qualifying World Junior Team Girls quarterfinals yesterday. She lost 4-6, 2-6. — Photo by Teo Chi Wei

KUCHING: Unseeded China Taipei’s good run in the Asia-Oceania Final Qualifying World Junior Team Girls event came to a halt yesterday when they were booted out of the quarterfinals by fifth seeds Thailand yesterday.

Pichayatida Jandaeng gave Thailand the winning start after she clinched a point in the first singles by beating Chang Chun Fang 6-4, 6-2 at SLTA Tennis Centre.

Pai Ya Yun equalised for China Taipei when she dispatched Yinglak Jittakoat 6-4, 6-1 and the Thai pair of Yinglak Jittakoat and Priyachanok Sukkanha took two hours 26 minutes to see off a determined challenge from Pai Ya Yun and Wu Fang Hsien 6-4, 7-6(5).

Thailand’s opponent in today’s semi-finals are second seeds Japan who thumped sixth seeds South Korea 3-0, with Haruna Arakawa beating Park Juhui 6-1, 6-2, Saya Ito beating Sim Soomin 6-1, 6-0 and Haruna Arakawa-Kimika Sakata beating Kim Soomin-Park Mijeong 6-3, 6-4.

Tournament favourites and top seeds Australia faced little difficulty in seeing off the challenge from fourth seeds China, winning 3-0.

Seone Mendez clinched the first point for Australia when she beat Mu Shou-Na 6-1, 6-2 in the first singles.

However, Aiava Destanee was made to sweat for her three-set 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 win over Ren Jia-Qi while Jaimee Fourlis-Seone Mendez defeated Mu Shou-Na and Ren Jia-Qi 6-0, 7-5 in the doubles.

Australia will meet third seeds India in the last four after the latter beat seventh seeds Philippines 3-0 in the other quarterfinal.

Meanwhile, Malaysia lost their fourth consecutive match in the tournament, bowing 0-2 to Indonesia in the play-off for ninth to 16th placing.

Novela Reza M Putriasari emerged 6-0, 6-1 winner over Suhana Sofia Mohd Adam Das while Shevita Aulana beat Loo Shi Pei 6-4, 6-2.

The doubles match was not played.

Indonesia will now play the winner of the match between Vietnam and Singapore for the ninth to 10th placing.

In other matches, eighth seeds Uzbekistan notched a 2-0 win over Kazakhstan and Hong Kong blanked Sri Lanka 2-0.

The play-off for fifth to eighth placing will see China taking on the Philippines while Chinese Taipei will play South Korea.