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| 11 Oct 2002 | |
| Japanese players Fuda and Soeda secure semifinal places |
For the first time since 1994 Japan has a girl and a boy in the semifinals of the Osaka Mayor's Cup, but only one of the two players needed to take to the courts.
In the boys' singles, Go Soeda had the day off after receiving a walkover from India's Karan Rastogi, who pulled out with an injury. Soeda will meet Wang-Cheng Hsieh in tomorrow's semifinal, after the No. 7 seed ousted Chris Kwon (USA), seeded No. 2, 63 64.
Whereas the bottom half of the draw is dominated by Asian players, the top half is strictly a European affair. Top seed Marcos Baghdatis continued his quest for a second title in Osaka by giving away just three games to Kiwi GD Jones 61 62. Baghdatis will face No. 3 seed Gyorgy Balazs tomorrow. Balazs, from Budapest, halted Croatia's Tomislav Hadzic 62 61 today. Balazs spoke after his match "I played so much better than yesterday. I was hitting good because I was able to use his fast pace well". Baghdatis has played Balazs only once before on the ITF Junior Circuit, squeezing out a 63 67(6) 64 victory in the round of 16 in Osaka last year.
In the girls' singles the No. 1 and 2 seeds from the Czech Republic remain on course for a final showdown. Both Lucie Safarova and Andrea Hlavackova gave away just four games today as they stormed through their quarterfinal matches. Safarova beat China's Rui Du 62 62 and Hlavackova overcame So-Jung Kim (KOR) by the same scoreline. Hlavackova commented "I played very good today and I am not tired at all. Last year I lost in the second round here so I am happy that I am in the semis".
Sanja Ancic, the youngest player left in the girls' singles draw, claimed the scalp of No. 4 seed Petra Teller (HUN) 63 61. The 14-year-old has been absent from the Circuit for five months since picking up an injury in Prato, Italy. The rest has no doubt done her some good and maybe watching her brother, Mario Ancic, defeat the No. 7 seed Roger Federer on the Centre Court at Wimbledon this summer has also inspired her. Ancic will face top seed Safarova tomorrow, she commented "It is going to be the 4th time playing against Safarova and I have beaten her once, so I think I have got a chance".
Of the 30 Japanese girls that started on Monday, only Ryoko Fuda survives. The No. 6 seed from Kobe put out No. 13 seed Emma Laine (FIN) 62 64 in their quarterfinal showdown. Fuda will tomorrow face her biggest test against No. 2 seed Hlavackova.
Both doubles finals will be contested on Saturday. Top Brendan Evans and Chris Kwon (USA) will take on No. 6 seeds Luke Campbell (GBR) and Christopher Singh (AUS). In the girls' doubles final, No. 5 seded Aussies Daniella Dominikovic and Sophie Ferguson will face No. 2 seeds Kristina Czafikova (SVK) and Emma Laine (FIN).
Photographs by Hiromasa Mano
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