Top seeds Lee Hyung Taik from South Korea, Li Na of China and
Danai Udomchoke of Thailand advanced into the quarterfinals in the
Asiad tennis tournament singles events here at the Khalifa Tennis
Courts, Doha on Sunday.
Lee cruised past Wang Yu from China 6-2, 6-0, while Li easily
defeated Sandy Gumulya from Indonesia 6-1, 6-3. However, it was not
such a good day for India with dramatic exits of Shikha Uberoiin
the women's singles and Uberoi/Sania Mirza in the women's doubles
event, mainly because Uberoi was nursing a leg injury.
The seven remaining seeded players all won their matches to
reach the last eight of the men's singles event. Lee will now play
Uzbekistan's seventh seed Denis Istomin, who beat Aisam Ul Haq
Qureshi from Pakistan 6-4, 6-3.
Third seeded Udomchoke demonstrated why he is one of the in-form
players thus far in the competition, conceding only two games to
Wong Wing Luen Wayne from Hong Kong of China in a masterly 6-1,6-1
performance. He now faces the only unseeded player Jun Woong Sun
from South Korea, who ousted China's Sun Peng 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.
In the men's doubles, top seeds Leander Paes/Mahesh Bhupathi
from India made quick work of Mohammed Ghareeb/Ahmad Mohammad from
Kuwait 6-1, 6-1 in the round of 16.
There was drama in the women's singles match involving second
seed Zheng Jie from China and Uberoi when the latter was forced to
retire with a strained muscle in her left leg while trailing 4-0 in
the opening set and departed the court in tears.
Uberoi returned to the court with partner Mirza in the doubles
event but failed to reach next round against Japanese pair Ryoko
Fuda/Tomoko Yonemura. The Indian duo were seeded third, but lost
6-3, 7-6(6).
India had more to cheer later when Mirza defeated Yoo Mi from
South Korea 6-1, 6-4 to reach the last eight in singles.
Mirza finished the day by reaching the semifinals with partner
Paes in the mixed doubles. The Indian top seeds won their match
against Sonchat Ratiwatana/Montinee Tangphong from Thailand 6-4,
6-3.
They will next play Chinese Yu Xinyuan/Sun Tiantian who defeated
Wang Yeu Tzuoo/Chuang Chia Jung from Chinese Taipei 6-2, 6-4.
(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2006)