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| 14 Mar 2002 | |
| Day Three - Wednesday 13 March 2002 |
Brazil have not had a home grown champion since Roberta B captured the title here 11 years ago. All eyes are now focused on Brazil's last female hope, Marina Tavares. Tavares did not let the side down as she battled through three tough sets to defeat Andrea Benitez (ARG) 46 63 64. Tavares, from Maceio, will face 14 year-old Ana Ivanovic (YUG) in the next round, the Yugoslavian today defeating Agnes Szatmari (ROM) 63 64.
Two more seeds fell today, the first being USA's Jamea Jackson, who was defeated in three sets by Argentinian qualifier Carla Zabaleta. This is a big win for Zabaleta, and avenges his loss to Jackson in straight sets two weeks ago at the Asuncion Bowl in Paraguay. Zabaleta has a tough opponent in the next round, top seed Barbora Strycova (CZE), who today again lost just one game to secure her third round place.
The other seed to lose was No. 9 Salome Devidze from Georgia. Devidze was defeated 57 63 60 by Anastasia Sourkova (RUS), who reached the semifinals in last week's Gerdau Cup and the final in Peru earlier in the COSAT Circuit. Moving into the third round, Sourkova will be hoping to repeat the good form that took her to victory over her next opponent, Tatiana Golovin (FRA), last week.
Brazil still have two players left in the top half of the Boys' draw: Bruno Siqueira and Franco Ferreiro. Siqueira notched up another win today against Christopher Clayton (USA) 64 64. Playing in his first Group A event, Siqueira said, "The weather was so hot, but I played my game and explored the backhand of my opponent". He will face Romanian Horia Tecau tomorrow. Tecau today defeated the highly-rated Guillermo Hormazabal from Chile in three sets which could not have been closer, winning 67(3) 76(3) 75. Hormazabal was the only seed to fall in the Boys' singles on day three.
In an all-Brazilian battle, Ferreiro defeated Tiago Giloli 61 63 and will meet Aussie Robert Haybittel in the next round. Chile's Jorge Aguilar, who yesterday defeated No. 13 seed Antonio Ruiz, continued his strong form, overcoming Eidy Igarashi (BRA) 61 63. Aguilar has a tough test ahead of him in the form of No. 2 seed, Lamine Ouahab from Algeria. Ouahab found himself facing a second round defeat against Alexandre Bonatto after losing the first set and being stretched to a tiebreak in the second. Experience prevailed however, and Ouahab fought back to take the match 46 76(5) 63.
The latest results can be found on , www.bananabowl.net
Photographs by Luiz Doro, Susan Mullane and Stephen Wake
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