The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Chia-Jung stops Ankita's run

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 10, 2004

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Chia-Jung stops Ankita's run

By Rakesh Rao

NEW DELHI, APRIL 9. The unpredictable nature of results at this level of women's game once again came to the fore on Friday in the Bank of Baroda-sponsored $10,000 ITF tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex.

After top seed Chuang Chia-Jung ended Ankita Bhambri's campaign with a 7-6, 6-4 triumph, unseeded Hao Jie handed out a straight-set lesson to fifth seed Montinee Tangphong, ranked 304 places above at 402, to gatecrash into Saturday's final.

Last week, in Mumbai, the 19-year-old Chinese had lost to Montinee 6-1, 4-6, 5-7 in the quarterfinals. Today, it was Hao's turn to rejoice following her 6-4, 6-2 revenge in 80 minutes. This was yet another example of how form and rankings provide misleading pointers from one week to the next.

Interestingly, the final of the Mumbai leg had two unseeded contenders while Saturday's title-match features Chuang, ranked 305 in the world and Hao, a distant 706.

Going by the difference in rankings, Chuang should justify the tag of `favourite'. But one cannot be too sure for Hao has not only scalped two seeded challengers on the way but also won all her matches in straight sets.

Earlier, Chuang was far more dominating during her victory over Ankita than what the score-line suggests. Though the only break of serve in the 78-minute match came in what turned out to be the final game, Chuang always looked in control while Ankita struggled right through to match her superior rival.

All credit to Ankita for saving four breakpoints in the sixth game and two more in the eighth. She even led 3-2 after gaining a mini-break in the tie-breaker before the Chinese Taipei girl stepped on the accelerator and sped away with the next five points to close the set.

Chuang had a very high percentage of first serves in. She showed more control from the baseline, foxed Ankita by angular returns and drove her out of court on several occasions before coming up with regulation placements.

Some of her backhand down the line shots caught Ankita by surprise. Ankita, on the other hand, played well only in patches. The frequency of unforced errors kept her under pressure through the contest. The difference between the two became clear in the second set where Chuang served brilliantly.

In five service games, the only time Chaung allowed a point to Ankita was in the third game, that too, at 40-0. With her serve never under threat, Chaung attacked Ankita's serve and came close to gaining a break in the fourth game but Ankita again saved two breakpoints. Eventually, in the 10th game, Chuang gained the decisive break to seal the match, without allowing the local girl an opportunity for a comeback.

Unlike in the first semifinal, baseliners Hao and Montinee traded brakes in the first two games of the opening set before Hao broke again in the fifth to lead 3-2. Thereafter games went with serves.

In fact, Hao squandered two set points in the ninth game when Montinee served to stay in the match. In the second set, too, Montinee saved two breakpoints in the opening game before Hao saved one in the second. Like in the first set, Hao again broke in the fifth game to signal the beginning of the end. After holding at love, Hao converted a second breakpoint to go 5-2 up. Thereafter she hung on to her serve in a long game to gain entry into the final.

Shu-Jing-Yu Ying triumph

Later, Yang Shu-Jing and Yu Ying won their second title in successive weeks when the top seeds Chuang Chia-Jung and Khoo Chin-Bee withdrew in the second set. When Khoo complained of stomach pain and chose to withdraw, the Chinese pair was leading 7-6 (10-8), 2-1. The result also ended the possibility of Chuang winning a `double' here.

Earlier in the evening, a spell of thunderstorm forced the re-scheduling of the doubles final for Saturday morning. After the cloudburst, Khoo requested the Organising Committee to hold the final on Friday itself, provided the other three players agree.

The Malaysian also pointed out that she would be forced to pullout of the re-scheduled final in order to take a flight on Friday night to be in Vietnam for an event beginning on Sunday. The tournament committee met and decided to hold the final under lights.

The results: Singles (semifinals): 1-Chuang Chia-Jung (Tpe) bt 7-Ankita Bhambri (Ind) 7-6 (3), 6-4; Hao Jie (Chn) bt 5-Montinee Tangphong (Tha) 6-4, 6-2.

Doubles (final): 3-Yang Shu-Jing and Yu Ying (Chn) bt Chuang Chia-Jung (Tpe) and Khoo Chin-Bee (Mas) 7-6 (10-8), 2-1 (conceded).

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