Veterans survive women's doubles

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's singles tennis players crashed out of the US$10,000 Women's Circuit-1 at the Danamon Tennis Center in Kemayoran, Jakarta on Friday, while in the doubles event only the veteran national pair Yayuk Basuki and Irawati Moerid Iskandar managed to advance to Saturday's semifinal.

The first women's circuit here also saw the rise of South Korean players in both the singles and the doubles events.

In the singles' quarterfinals on Friday, Irawati bowed out to South Korean Jeon Mi-ra 6-7 (2-7), 3-6. Her downfall was quickly followed by that of her juniors Angelique Widjaja and Niaga Cigna Open 2000's women's singles champion Wukirasih Sawondari.

Angie, as Angelique is popularly called, was easily defeated by South Korean Chung Yang-jin 2-6, 1-6, while Wukirasih lost to another South Korean Choi Young-ja 4-6, 4-6.

"The opponent is really much better than me," Wukirasih said.

Jeon, who is unseeded in this event, will challenge top-seeded Lara Van Rooyen of South Africa, who beat her countrywoman Natalie Grandin 6-4, 6-3 in Friday's quarterfinals.

In another semifinal match on Saturday, number seven seed Chung will play against her fellow countrywomen and fifth seed Choi.

Wild card holders Yayuk and Irawati showed their quality in Friday's quarterfinals by defeating Japanese top seeds Keiko Nagatomi and Ryoko Takemura in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1.

The Indonesian pair, unseeded in this tournament, will play another Japanese pair, Satoko Kurioka and Remi Tezuka, who shattered the hopes of the Indonesian junior pairing of Dea Sumantri and Angie 7-5, 6-7, 7-6.

Chung and partner Lee Eun-jeong also advanced to the semifinal after they defeated their teammates and number four seeds Chae Kyung-yee and Kim Jin-hee 6-0, 6-4 on Friday.

Chung and Lee will meet number two seeds from South Korean Choi and Kim Eun-sook, who overcame Chiaki Nakajima and Ayami Takasi of Japan 6-3, 6-0. (ivy)