Date:02/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/02/stories/2007110257742200.htm

Sport

Yuki’s fighting spirit to the fore

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Yuki Bhambri displayed his fighting spirit as he got past the fourth-seeded Matt Reid of Australia 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Asia-Oceania ITF junior tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex here on Thursday.

After Poojashree Venkatesh had sped away in the girls’ quarterfinals earlier on court No. 1, not conceding a single game to her Thai opponent Khunpak Issara, the onus was on Yuki to ensure that the Indian challenge stayed alive in the boys’ event as well.

Crisp strokes

In the event, a tired Yuki, struggling at times to cope with the crisp strokes of the strong Aussie, intensified his focus in the decider and pulled through to a creditable 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory in two hours and six minutes.

In the semifinals, Yuki will face Hiroki Morya of Japan who knocked out the second-seeded Kittipong Wachiramanowong of Thailand after a battle in the first set.

Di enters semifinals

Meanwhile, China’s Wu Di continued to move ahead with poise and set up a semifinal against the sixth-seeded Peerakit Siributwong of Thailand.

Poojashree takes on Yang Zi-Jun Jun of Hong Kong .

The other semifinal will feature the top-seeded Noppawan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand and the gutsy third seed Aleksandra Kolesnichenko of Uzbekistan.

The results (quarterfinals):

Boys: Di Wu (Chn) bt Tearney Finn (Nzl) 6-4, 6-4; Peerakit Siributwong (Tha) bt Tadayuki Longhi (Jpn) 6-1, 6-2; Yuki Bhambri bt Matt Reid (Aus) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; Hiroki Morya (Jpn) bt Kittipong Wachiramanonowong (Tha) 7-5, 6-1.

Girls: Noppawan Lertcheewakarn (Tha) bt Jade Hooper (Aus) 6-2, 6-0; Aleksandra Kolesnichenko (Uzb) bt Sophia Mulsap (Tha) 3-6, 6-0, 6-3; Yang Zi-Jun Jun (Hkg) bt Jessy Priskilla Rompies (Ina) 6-4, 6-2; Poojashree Venkatesh bt Khunpak Issara (Tha) 6-0, 6-0.