Veterans survive women's doubles

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)