Sanchez Vicario kills Yayuk's Princess bid

Sanchez Vicario kills Yayuk's Princess bid

TOKYO (AFP): Arantxa Sanchez Vicario saved seven match points before storming back to beat Yayuk Basuki in the semi-finals of the US$450,000 Princess Cup tennis tournament yesterday.

The Spanish former world number one was a set and 4-5, 30-40 down when she made a timely break of serve to stage a remarkable comeback for a 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 victory over the fifth seeded Indonesian.

In the final today, Sanchez Vicario, seeking her first win since April last year, will take on another former world number one Monica Seles.

The Yugoslav-born American reached her seventh final of the season by crushing last local hope Naoko Sawamatsu with a convincing 6-3, 6-1 victory earlier in the day.

"You never now until the last point," said Sanchez Vicario reflecting on her victory.

"On the critical points, I came back playing great shots and I was able to stay in the match to go to the tie-break. It gave me great confidence winning this way."

"Maybe people thought I would not win this match. But I'm a big fighter and I still believed in myself. I proved it by coming back with great shots when I needed them to win the match," she added.

The highlight of the 148-minute battle between Sanchez Vicario and Yayuk came in the 10th game of the second set, which lasted 18 minutes and needed nine deuces before finally the Spaniard broke Basuki to tie it at 5-5.

Sanchez Vicario's famous will to win returned at the right moment as she ran around the court and returned every angled shot from the Indonesian.

After taking the game to advantage for the second time, Sanchez Vicario forced Yayuk to hit a backhanded volley into the net and went on to win the tie-breaker 7-2 to even the score at one all.

A dejected Yayuk double-faulted at 15-40 to lose the opening game of the final set and although the two traded breaks in the seventh and eighth games, the Indonesian never recovered from the deficit.

Sanchez Vicario also missed two match points in the eighth game, but didn't fail in her third attempt, as Yayuk's forehand approach shot landed long.

"Some other players would have made mistakes when they have to hit a passing shot on seven matchpoints. Arantxa just hung in there," said Yayuk.

"Arantxa played incredible points. She was really tough. She's one of the greatest players who have the greatest mentality in the world," she added.

Meanwhile, Seles said of her straightforward 105-minute win: "I was making my shots more in the second set. I just didn't let Naoko back into the match."

"Naoko gives back everything. She's a big fighter. With her, you are not going to get any easy points. You have to win them," she added.