Yayuk upsets Fernandez in Acura Classic
Yayuk upsets Fernandez in Acura Classic
MANHATTAN BEACH, California (Agencies): Indonesia's best tennis player, Yayuk Basuki, played one of her most enchanting games as she tuned-up for the U.S. Open with a second-round win over seventh seed Mary Joe Fernandez in the Acura Classic championships on Wednesday.
Yayuk, currently ranked 33 in the world, defied the odds to claim a straight-set 6-3, 7-5 victory over the American world number 13, one of two big names to fall on the fourth day of the US$430,000 tournament.
Eleventh seed Lisa Raymond joined her compatriot to walk off the court, crashing to Swedish rising star Asa Carlsson also in straight sets 3-6, 3-6.
The notable scalp lengthened Yayuk's long casualty list since going professional almost five years ago. The native of Yogyakarta, reached round four in her fourth successive Wimbledon by upsetting Zina Garrison-Jackson.
Yayuk capped her giant-killing record last April when she toppled world number seven Gabriela Sabatini in their Federation Cup battle in Jakarta.
Except for Fernandez and Raymond, the other seeded players marched into the next round.
Top seed Arantxa Sanchez Vicario of Spain didn't break a sweat in her second-round match when her opponent, American Kathy Rinaldi, was forced to withdraw due to illness. Rinaldi, who first beat fellow American Lori McNeil in three sets, suffered food poisoning Tuesday night.
Sanchez Vicario will play 16th seed Sabine Appelmans of Belgium in the third round. Appelmans was a 6-4, 6-4 winner Wednesday over Mana Endo of Japan.
Second seed Conchita Martinez was the first to reach the fourth round after a tough match with France's Julie Halard, posting a 6-7 (6-8), 6-0, 6-3 victory.
Becker out
Also on Wednesday, world number one Andre Agassi and two-time champion Michael Chang survived spirited challenges, but Boris Becker was one of four seeds to fall in second-round play at the ATP Championships in Mason, Ohio.
The fourth-ranked Becker, making his first appearance since reaching the Wimbledon final, fell short in a tight struggle with Dutch left-hander Jan Siemerink 7-5, 7-6 (9-7).
"Unfortunately now, I'll be practicing a lot the next few days instead of playing a couple more matches," Becker said.
Top seed Agassi struggled through a tough opening set before roaring through the second in overcoming Czech Daniel Vacek 7-6 (7-5), 6-1, while fourth seed Chang was extended by 157th-ranked fellow American Alex O'Brien, prevailing 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 to reach the third round.
Joining Becker on the sidelines was fifth-seeded Russian star Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who fell 6-4, 7-5 to Bernd Karbacher of Germany.
Renzo Furlan of Italy bounced ninth seed and twice French Open champion Sergi Bruguera of Spain 6-2, 6-4, and Patrick Rafter of Australia upset 14th seed Andrei Medvedev of Ukraine 4-6, 6-1, 7- 6 (7-5).
Becker was frustrated at his inability to capitalize on five break points in the first set -- three in the seventh game and two in the ninth.
"I had a number of chances in the first set," Becker said. "But I couldn't take my opportunities. I knew that with Jan playing well it could be very costly and it was."
The second set went down to a tie-breaker during which Becker never held a set point. The 35th-ranked Siemerink completed the upset on his fourth match point.