Top seed Luksika Kumkhum stormed into the semi-finals of the US$25,000 Chang-SAT ITF Pro Circuit after she crushed Suzana Zlochova 6-4 6-1 at the Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club in Phuket yesterday.
Thailand's No 1 relied on attacking ground-strokes to oust her Slovak opponent in hot and humid conditions on the southern holiday island. The 133-ranked player was briefly tested in the opener before she raced to a 5-0 lead in the second set only to drop serve at the finish line, before breaking back to close out the match.
"She is the kind of player who doesn't miss easily, so I tried not to rush things too much. She likes to hit high balls so I had to approach the ball more and hit faster," said the 19-year-old, who is seeking her first trophy of the season.
"But when I was 5-0, she played like she had nothing to lose and I started missing. Luckily I pulled myself together to wrap up the match," said Luksika who next plays Austrian Melanie Klaffner, a 6-2 6-2 winner over Alison Bai of Australia.
The Thai said she preferred not to know too much about opponents before matches.
"If I study my rivals' play, I get so many ideas and start thinking too much. So I prefer to go to the court fresh and stick to my game plan," said Luksika.
She will be joined in the semi-finals by Peangtarn Plipuech, who had no problem eliminating Kamonwan Buayam 6-4 6-1. Yesterday also saw Lisa Whybourn beat Naomi Broady 4-6 6-4 6-4 in an all-British affair.
Nadal gets Ferrer bonus
Rafael Nadal restored the balance of clay power at the Barcelona Open with a 6-4 6-2 win over Carlos Berlocq after top-seeded compatriot David Ferrer was eliminated by Dmitry Tursunov.
Russian qualifier Tursunov stunned Ferrer 7-5 3-6 6-1 in a major second-round upset on Wednesday.
Nadal may have still been feeling the effects of his Monte Carlo final loss at the weekend to Novak Djokovic, a defeat which denied him an historic ninth consecutive title in the principality.
Seeded second for the first time ever behind Ferrer, he needed six match points to see off persistent Argentine Berlocq, whom he had beaten on Brazilian clay two months ago.
The match was played in a swirling wind which bothered the Spaniard. "It was not very comfortable and it affected my game," said Nadal," who next plays Frenchman Benoit Paire, who beat Pablo Andujar 6-4 5-7 6-3.
"I don't want to talk about being a title favourite, I'm just very happy to be playing well and into the third round. I'm not looking ahead.
Nadal owns bragging rights in Barcelona after winning seven titles in eight editions and posting a 36-1 lifetime record at the Catalan venue.
His defeat of Berlocg was his 35th win in a row here since losing to current Davis Cup captain Alex Corretja in the 2003 second round.
He now stands 22-2 on the clay this season in which he only returned to tennis in February after seven months out with knee injuries.
Ferrer could offer little explanation on his loss as he played for the first time since a thigh injury in the Miami final against Andy Murray nearly a month ago. "I couldn't seem to hurt him with my shots. it was a strange match mentally and physically.
Latest stories in this category
- Buriram coach bitter about missed chance
- Buriram United were hurting yesterday after..
- Luksika sets up all-Thai semi-final
- Schaefer heading to exit as FA look to end..
We Recommend
- No tattoos for Obama daughters - or else!
- Washington - The first daughters might face an..
- Former Nation reporter found dead in her flat
- More calls for action on baht
Comments conditions
Users are solely responsible for their comments.We reserve the right to remove any comment and revoke posting rights for any reason withou prior notice.
Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/04/26/luksika-sets-up-all-thai-semi-final/
0 comments:
Post a Comment