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• Up • SEMIS • QUARTERS • Round ONE • QUALIFYING • Amateur • |
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TODAY at the LAAC Daily reports
from Steve Cubbins in Los Angeles ... |
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Thu 26th, Round ONE:
[1] Samantha Teran
(Mex) bt Tara Mullins (Can)
9/2, 9/4, 9/0 (28m)
[6] Donna Urquhart
(Aus) bt [Q] Stephanie Edmison (Can)
9/1, 9/1, 9/1 (20m)
[4] Manuela Manetta
(Ita) bt [Q] Thaisa Serafini (Bra)
10/8, 9/5, 9/2 (34m)
[7] Suzie Pierrepont (Eng) bt [Q] Tina Rix (Eng)
9/4, 9/0, 9/4 (24m)
[8] Alana Miller (Can) bt Nour El Tayeb (Egy)
9/2, 5/9, 9/1, 9/2 (43m)
[3] Louise Crome (Nzl) bt [Q] Eman El Amir (Egy)
9/0, 9/5, 9/6 (36m)
[5] Aisling Blake (Irl) bt Karina Herrera Zuniga (Mex)
9/3, 9/1, 9/4 (26m)
[2] Latasha Khan (Usa) bt Deon Saffery (Wal)
9/2, 9/1, 9/1 (26m)
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Seeds safely through
It will be the top eight seeds who contest the quarter-finals of the
second EBG Los Angeles Open after the first round on the eighth
floor of the LAAC.
Samantha Teran had too much for Tara Mullins although the
Canadian made the top-seeded Mexican work hard to maintain control
on the warm, bouncy courts before subsiding in the third.
Teran will meet Donna Urquhart, who took advantage of an
error-prone start from qualifier Stephanie Edmison, and the in-form
Australian never looked like letting her opponent back in.
Third seeded Manuela Manetta had a nightmare start against an
opponent who, like herself, is a fast mover and full of running. But
from 0/7 in the first the Italian steadied and ran out a
straight-games winner.
The all-English clash between long-time friends and Pennsylvania
training partners Suzie Pierrepont and Tina Rix went
according to seedings, and Suzie will be relieved that tomorrow she
has use of all three of the rackets the pair are sharing this week.
In what tournament director Bob Hanscom billed as a "Mutt & Jeff"
match ("little 'n large" in Anglo), Alana Miller kept
15-year-old Nour El Tayeb subdued for three games, but the
never-say-die Egyptian ran her heart out as always, took the second
and continues to show what a force she will soon be.
Miller meets third seed Louise Crome in the quarters after
the Kiwi also beat an Egyptian opponent. Eman El Amir couldn't stop
hitting the tin at the start, and although she improved, playing
well enough to lead 6/3 in the third, it was Crome got the better of
a close finish.
The final two matches saw Latasha Khan, seeded two, and
Aisling Blake east to straight-game wins.
Tonight sees a wine-tasting evening on the third floor of the LAAC
and as long as today's victors follow the time-honoured tradition of
not swallowing we have every right to expect some fine matches
tomorrow ...
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Sponsor Spotlight
#1, Feather
Player on Player
issue #2 |
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“She
made a few errors at the start, but then we started having some
tough rallies. I knew that if I kept it in play long enough,
especially straight, that she was likely to come up with an error.
“That
was a good opener. I wanted to get stuck into a few tough rallies
and play my way into the tournament, so it was good workout for me.
“I
was making too many errors, and when I put it loose she has such a
reach she was able to put the ball away. 
