Yayuk defeats Maleeva to keep on winning track
Yayuk defeats Maleeva to keep on winning track
LONDON (Agencies): Indonesia's Yayuk Basuki kept on the
winning track at the Wimbledon tennis championships by ousting
16th seed Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria in a close battle in
three sets 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 yesterday.
World number 45 Yayuk, who also defeated the youngest Maleeva
sister for a fourth place here last year, used her powerful serve
and volley game to earn herself a place in the third round. Hard-
hitting Yayuk saved a match point in the 12th game of the second
set.
The 23-year-old Indonesian is drawn to meet American Ann
Grossman in today's match for a fourth-round slot. Grossman, a
clay court specialist, steered her match against fellow American
Nicole Arendt from the baseline and inflicted a surprising 6-4,
3-6, 6-4 win.
Yayuk reached the last 16 for the first time two years ago to
become the first Asian player, along with Japan's Naoko
Sawamatsu, to move that far at the most prestigious tennis
tournament.
Yayuk has never lost to her American rival, who she has only
met twice in the past two years, but Grossman has expressed
confidence and will be a tough hurdle to beat.
Remarkable Japanese Mana Endo is the other Asian player to win
yesterday's matches. The 23-year-old Endo, from Hiroshima, who
put out eighth-seed Natalia Zvereva of Belarus in the first-
round, continued her progress by scoring a 6-3, 6-4 victory over
Jolene Watanabe of the United States.
French Open champion Arantxa Sanchez Vicario also bustled into
the third round, with her chances of winning the tournament
vastly improved by the untimely departure of Steffi Graf.
The second-seeded Spaniard, who has never progressed beyond
the quarter-finals here, disposed of Argentine Maria Jose Gaidano
6-2, 6-1 in under an hour.
Sanchez Vicario, 22, harried and hustled the 143rd-ranked
Gaidano as if impatient to get off the court.
Favorite
After the overwhelming favorite and number one seed Graf was
sensationally beaten by Lori McNeil in the first round on
Tuesday, Sanchez-Vicario's odds improved to 3-1 favorite.
And, despite a game tailored to the clay courts of southern
Europe, she is supremely confident.
"Mentally I'm very strong so that really helps on grass
courts," she said.
"I always enjoy playing grass, but this year I will more
because my game has improved. I can stay back or go to the net,
depending on my opponent," she added.
Sanchez Vicario is seeded to meet Martina Navratilova, seeking
her 10th Wimbledon singles title at the age of 37, in the
semifinals.
Two other women's seeds progressed quickly in brilliant
sunshine against Argentines on the outside courts. Thirteenth
seed Zina Garrison-Jackson, beaten by Navratilova in the 1990
final, overcame Mercedes Paz 7-5, 6-0 and the Czech Republic's
Helena Sukova, seeded 17, beat Patricia Tarabini 6-4, 6-2.
The 1990 singles finalist Zina Garrison-Jackson, 30, put out
Mercedes Paz of Argentina 7-5, 6-0. And Gabriela Sabatini,
seeded-tenth, showed improved form in a 6-2, 6-3 win over
Australian Jenny Byrne to reach a difficult third-round clash
against Eastbourne winner Meredith McGrath of the United States.
Men's draw
In the men's draw, this year's Russian sensation Yevgeny
Kafelnikov, seeded 15 on his first visit to Wimbledon issued an
awesome warning to future opponents by rocketing past German
Karsten Braasch 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.
Kafelnikov, who has a good clay pedigree after reaching the
final of the Hamburg tournament last month, knew exactly what to
do on grass.
The 20-year-old Russian served consistently and raced to the
net at every opportunity.
Kafelnikov, who has jumped 300 places in the rankings in just
two seasons, now plays either Australian Mark Woodforde or Czech
Daniel Vacek for a place in the last-sixteen.
The winner of that match is expected to face defending
champion Pete Sampras providing the world number-one makes no
slips against fellow-American Chuck Adams.
Richard Fromberg of Australia was another to reach the third-
round. He beat Alex Corretja of Spain 6-2, 7-6 (8/6), 7-5.