Lehnert rips US netter, gains semis

MANILA, Philippines - Fil-German Katharina Lehnert unleashed her best game thus far and overwhelmed Sylvia Krywacz of the US, 6-2, 6-1, to barge into the semifinal round of the 2011 Smart-ITF Women’s Circuit Week 1 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center yesterday.

The seventh seed 18-year-old Lehnert’s, ranked No. 670 in the world, dominated Krywacz with her superb all around game to set up a semifinal showdown with Lu Jia Xiang, who earlier beat fellow Chinese and fifth seed Jia-Jing Lu, 6-2, 6-4.

Lehnert used ferocious forehand attacks to stifle Krywacz while coming up with big serves that turned out too much for her American rival.

Top seed and world No. 316 Luksika Kumkhum also moved into the semis with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over India’s Rishika Sunkara.

She will face third seed fellow Thai Peangtarn Plipuech in the semis.

Plipuech ousted Korean Hae-Sung Kim, 7-6(6), 6-2 in the other quarterfinal duel in the event backed by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), Philippine Tennis Association, Smart Sports, International Terminal Container Service Inc. (ICTSI), Phinma Group of Companies, Head, the official balls, Viva Mineral Water, Powerade Energy Drink, Chris Sports and Philippine Sports Commission.

In the doubles semis, the Thai combination of Kumkhum and Plipuech advanced to the finals by defeating Koreans Hong Seung-Yeon and Kim Ju-Eun, 4-6, 6-3 (10-1).

China’s Zhao, Yi-Jing and Zheng Jun-Yi took the other championship berth by thumping Sharmada Balu and Rishika Sunkara of India, 6-1, 0-6 (10-6).