Taiwanese ousts Belgian ace, reaches Holcim semis

MANILA, Philippines - Chinese Taipei’s Juan Ting Fei overcame a tough Gally de Wael of Belgium and pulled off a 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(5) victory to complete an all-Asian semifinal cast in the $10,000 Holcim/ITF Women’s Circuit Week I at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center yesterday.

Juan, 17, needed a third set tiebreaker to turn back the taller, crisp-hitting de Wael and fashion out the grueling victory that lasted two hours and 25 minutes. That set her up to an interesting semis showdown with second seed Lee Ye Ra of Korea, who trounced fifth pick Liu Shaozhou of China, 6-4, 6-4.

De Wael, one of the favorites in the ITF-sanctioned event because of her power games and looks, bounced back from a lethargic opening set by seizing the second frame and then forcing a deciding set.

The long-limbed 18-year-old de Wael seized a 3-2 lead in the third but Juan, who reached the finals of the Jakarta ITF tournament last March, took four of the next seven games to force a tiebreaker en route to the victory.

De Wael’s exit paved the way for an all-Asian semis affair as Thai Nicha Lertpitaksinchai and Korean Yoo Mi scored lopsided victories to clinch the two other berths in the week-long event sponsored by Holcim, PLDT/Smart, Phinma and the ITF Grand Slam Development Fund.

The eighth-seeded Lertpitaksinchai downed compatriot Paengthan Pliphuech, 6-1, 6-3, while fourth ranked Yoo disposed of fellow Korean No. 7 Han Sung Hee, 6-1, 6-1.

Han ousted RP’s best bet Maricris Fernandez, who was forced to retire in the second set due to foot injury last Thursday.

The tournament, the first of a four-week meet featuring some of the world’s rising juniors players, is organized by the Philippine Tennis Association and backed by Tecnifibre Balls and the Philippine Sports Commission.

Korean sensations Kim Sun Jung and Lee Ye Ra continued their giant-slaying ways by pulling the rug from under No. 3 He Sirui and Liu Shaozhuo of China, 6-0, 6-0, to surge to the doubles finals.

The Kim-Lee tandem earlier shocked No. 2 Sophia Mulsap and Natchanok Saenyaukhot of Thailand, 6-3, 6-2. They dispute the crown against the winner between top seed Beatrice Gumulya of Indonesia and Han Sung Hee of Korea and Han Na Lae and Yoo Mi of Korea.

Gumulya and Han walloped He Chun Yan of China and Trang Huynh Phuong Dai, 6-3, 6-4, while Han and Yoo humbled No. 4 Ofri Lankri of Israel and Linda Mair of Italy, 6-0, 6-3.