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.