Three Thais Reach Quarter-final in Hua Hin
Three Thais including teenage rising star Bunyawi Thamchaiwat successfully booked their spots in the quarter-final berth of the US$25,000 Singha Cal-Comp & XYZ Printing ITF Women’s Circuit at the True Arena Hua Hin yesterday.
The 18-year-old Bunyawi powered past Mizuno Kijima of Japan 6-0 7-6 (7-3) before compatriots Plubrung Plipuech and Noppawan Lertcheewakarn joined her following three tough set second round wins.
Unfancied qualifier Plobrung, also at 18, overcame a second set deficit to upset Japanese Miyabi Inoue 7-6 (7-5) 2-6 6-3 while Noppawan rallied back from 0-3 behind in the final set to beat Taiwanese Lee Pei-Chi 6-4 4-6 7-6 (7-5).
Bunyawi from Nakhon Ratchasima who made a big bang in her Fed Cup debut earlier this year by winning three straight rubbers used her aggressive baseline game to stamp her authority over Kijima whom she beat in straight sets in a US$25,000 event in Goyang, South Korea in May.
“I was serving well both the first and second serves. I didn’t make many errors like I did on Tuesday,” said the 518th ranked teen prodigy who is in her third quarter-final of a US$25,000 event this year.
“In the second set I was up 5-3 but she raised the level of her game. Even I returned the ball deep, she managed to hit winners on both wings. But I tried to play my game in the tie-break and I could dictate points until the end,” said Bunyawi who will line up a clash against third seed Katarzyna Kawan of Poland.
“I was training with her two days before the event. She serves so big and has good kick second serves. Even I open the court well, she hit clean winners back. I have to play solid tennis on Thursday,” said Bunyawi.
Plobrung, a younger sister of Thailand’s No 2 Peangtarn, extended her impressive run since from the qualifying round. It’s by far the best run of the shy teenage girl who never before moved beyond the maindraw first round of a US$25,000 event.
“After I lost the second set, I tried to calm down and fought hard for every point,” said the Bangkok University student. “I have worked really hard at the moment as I’m determined to reach my goal which is to be in the top 10 in the world. I even set my own practice plan and follow it strictly and it paid off,” said Plubrung who will take on Chinese Gao Xinyu, a 7-5 6-1 victor over Filipina Katharina Lehnert.
“I have done beyond my expectation already and can only gain from now on. I will try hard to do even better,” added Plubrung.
Elsewhere third seed Katarzyna Kawan of Poland beat Varunya Wongteanchai 6-3 6-4 while Indian qualifier Karman Kaur Thandi spent two hours and 16 minutes to dash local hope Patcharin Cheapchandej 7-6 (7-4) 6-3.
Top seed Shiho Akita toppled Wei Zhanlan of China 6-2 6-1 and Chinese Gai Ao upset Brazilian fifth seed Laura Pigossi 7-5 (7-2) 5-7 7-5 in over three hours of battle.
In the first round postponed from Tuesday due to rain, Chinese Wei Zhanlan beat local wildcard holder Nudnida Luangnam 6-2 4-6 6-3 .
