Yayuk's journey to quarterfinals halted
LONDON (Agencies): Indonesia's Yayuk Basuki bid to make history at Wimbledon was dashed yesterday as she was beaten by 15th seeded Brenda Schultz-McCarthy of the Netherlands 6-3 6-1 in the fourth round.
Yayuk, Indonesia's number one women player who dreamed of making it to the final eight of Tennis' most prestigious event, was abruptly stopped in the fourth round--a fate she had endured the past three years.
The Yogyakarta-borne Yayuk, who has compiled an amazing record by reaching Wimbledon's fourth round for four consecutive years, would have been the first Asian woman ever to reach Wimbledon's quarterfinals had she won yesterday.
Her Dutch opponent, who has the hardest serve on the women's tour at 109 miles per hour, used this deadly weapon to put Yayuk at bay.
The big-serving Schultz-McCarthy will meet either the world second ranked player Spain's Arantxa Sanchez or ninth-seeded Anke Huvber of Germany.
Russian number-one Yevgeny Kafelnikov became the first player to reach the men's quarter-finals at Wimbledon yesterday when he outplayed experienced American baseliner Aaron Krickstein in straight-sets.
The crafty 21-year-old sixth-seed, who reached the third-round when he made his debut in the event twelve months ago, scored an impressive 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 victory as the second week of the Championships got underway in cooler but dry conditions.
Last week saw the hottest-ever start in the history of the tournament.
Kafelnikov, hitting the ball sweetly, didn't drop his serve once and he was clearly determined to keep the ball away from Krickstein's bazooka forehand.
The American's demeanor was not helped when he had to call the trainer on court after feeling a twinge of pain in his left-leg at the start of the second set.
Kafelnikov was on to it immediately, drawing the American, semi-finalist in the 1995 Australian Open, out of position by mixing up fierce drives and passing shots with deft stop-volleys and drop shots.
The Russian Davis Cup player now faces the winner of the big- serving shoot-out later today between twice-finalist and fourth- seed Goran Ivanisevic and 14th-seed Todd Martin of the United States.
Mary Joe Fernandez, the 13th seed, beat the powerful seventh- seed Lindsay Davenport in an all-American clash on court three.
The two players, the best of friends off court, both had their chances in an exciting first set.
Fernandez squandered five set points serving in a marathon twelfth game before Davenport forced the tie-break. Then Davenport failed to convert a set point while leading 6-5 in the tie-break and lost three points in a row. The second set was a formality.
Fernandez, a semi-finalist here in 1991, now plays either world number-one Steffi Graf or Ines Gorrochategui of Argentina.
"It was kind of weird out there," said 19-year-old Davenport. "She's like a sister to me and we've been practicing together for weeks."
"I felt really drained after the first set...in fact I still feel rather drained now," said the 6ft 2in player.
"It's hard playing a good friend. It's strange. It turned out to be more difficult than I thought it would be.
"Alas -- only one of us could go through."
Fourth seed Jana Novotna, a finalist two years ago, produced a typical hot-and-cold performance to eliminate Nicole Bradtke 6-0, 5-7, 6-4 after one hour and 47 minutes.
The first seven games of the final set all went against service, leaving the Czech leading 4-3 and then, with both players raising their game, the last three games went with service for Novotna to win on her second match point with a superb backhand volley.
Novotna now plays either sixth-seed Kimiko date of Japan or Mariaan de Swardt of South Africa.