 Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 22 Oct 2009 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 22 Oct 2009 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 22 Oct 2009 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 22 Oct 2009 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 22 Oct 2009 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 22 Oct 2009 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 22 Oct 2009 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 22 Oct 2009 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 22 Oct 2009 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 22 Oct 2009 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 22 Oct 2009 |
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| 22 Oct 2009 - Marco Massetani | |
| Berta & Njiric Stunned in Osaka |
World n° 781 Takeshi Endo from Japan produced the upset of the day at Osaka Mayor’s Cup as he eliminated top seeded Swede Daniel Berta in the third round, 62 75. Berta has previously triumphed in The Junior French Open last June and the recent Grade 1 Mitsubishi-Lancer Championships in Manila.
18-year-old Endo easily took the first set and brilliantly withstood a furious comeback from Berta in the second. He advances into the first Grade A quarterfinals of his career. Looking completely at home on hard courts, Endo will pose a threat to any opponent. He faces next a compatriot, and the ninth seed, Yasutaka Uchiyama, who was untroubled by his third round opponent, Slovak Filip Horansky, recording a comfortable 63 63 victory.
In the top half of boys’ draw, another seed, Vaidik Munshaw (IND), suffered a shock defeat by world n° 234 Jeson Patrombon (PHI) surrendering to a 63 63 defeat. Eleventh seed Jason Murray Kubler (AUS) stormed into the fourth round, disposing easily of Taipeian fifth seed Cheng-Peng Hsieh 60 61.
In the bottom half of the draw, three of the four seeds – Liang Chi Huang, Hiroyasu Ehara and Pierre Hugues Herbert - reached the quarterfinals. Second seed and world n° 4 Huang, a finalist at the Japan Open Championships last April, wasted little time in beating Australian Luke Saville 61 64. Eighth seed Japanese Hiroyasu Ehara reached his second Grade A quarterfinal of 2009, after the Italian Open. Once again he was made to come from behind to claim victory against Britain’s Robert Carter 36 62 61. Without losing a single set, the third seed Pierre Hugues Herbert (FRA) defeated home player fourteenth seed Taro Daniel, 75 62. Tenth seed Ben McLachan was beaten 67 62 64 by surprise package Jea Moon Lee from Korea.
In the girls’ event, second seed & world n° 4 Timea Babos from Hungary did credit to her ranking and downed fifteenth seed Kanyapat Narattana from Thailand 62 62. Thanks to her height, Japan Open Champion Babos boasts an excellent serve and powerful shots. On Friday she will play Japanese twelfth seed Emi Mutaguchi, who enjoyed a straight sets victory 60 76 over Russian Ekaterina Nikittina. There were two surprises in the bottom half of girls’ draw, where unseeded Japanese Akiko Omae outplayed Copa Gerdau Champion and third seed Silvia Njiric, winning 64 62 and fifth seed Ana Bogdan from Romania was forced to retire in the third set of her match with tenth seed Sachie Ishizu, 46 63 50.
15-year-old ninth seed Tamara Curovic of Serbia continued her sparkling form, completing a 63 64 victory over Japanese Eri Hozume while home player fourth seed Miyabi Inque, winner in Repentigny, Canada, last September, scored an easy 62,63 to her compatriot Rio Kitagawa. Sixth Saisai Zheng was stretched to three sets by the talented Fatma Al Nabhani of Oman, winning 46 63 61. In the quarterfinals Zheng will play top seeded world n° 2 Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) who won a hard fought first set tie-break before beating Japanese sixteenth seed Risa Ozaki 76(6) 62.
Related Articles
> Mladenovic in superb form at Osaka Mayor's Cup
> Berta and Babos advance easily into second round
> Seeds start with wins in Osaka
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