Luksika feeling pressure of being No 1
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Thai No 1 Luksika Kumkhum ousted old foe and 2011 champion Akiko Omae of Japan 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 to book a quarter-final spot in the US$25,000 Chang-SAT ITF Pro Circuit at the Thanyapura Sports & Leisure Club in Phuket yesterday.
Opting to play a small local Challenger instead of joining the clay season in Europe, the top seed avenged a defeat she suffered to Omae in the junior ranks.
“She beat me 6-2 6-3 a long time ago, so I expected a tough match from her. I was leading 4-2 in both sets but she broke back on each occasion. She hit winners anytime but on crucial points she missed,” said the 133-ranked Luksika, who dethroned Tamarine Tanasugarn as the country’s No 1 player earlier this year.
The tournament’s top seed will next encounter Slovak Zuzana Zlochova, who ousted another local hope in Nungnudda Wannasuk 6-0 6-2 in other second-round action.
“I have never seen or played her before but I have heard she is a solid baseline player. I just have to stick to my game and produce some good tennis,” said Luksika, who admitted she was feeling the pressure of fans’ expectations as well as being No 1 seed.
“I know everybody is looking forward to beating the top seed. I came into this tournament under big pressure as a lot of people expect me to win it,” added the Thai, who has opted not to play any clay-court events in preparing for the French Open next month.
Luksika is joined in the last eight by Peangtarn Plipuech, who beat Czech qualifier Martina Borecka 7-5 6-4, and Melanie Klaffner of Austria, who scored an upset 6-2 6-2 win over third seed and Thai No 3 Nudnida Luangnam.
Ivanovic eases past Petkovic
Former world No 1 Ana Ivanovic needed just 72 minutes to see off Germany’s Andrea Petkovic in the first round of Stuttgart’s WTA tournament.
The 25-year-old Serbian, who won the 2008 French Open title on her way to being world No 1 that June, enjoyed a 6-3 6-2 first-round win on Tuesday against wild-card Petkovic who is on her way back after a series of injuries.
Petkovic was playing her first match since withdrawing mid-tournament in Charleston earlier this month due to a calf injury – and that was just her third tournament back from a knee injury earlier in the year.
Nadia Petrova, the only seeded player in action on Tuesday, won a tight straight-setter against Germany’s match in Dinah Pfizenmaier.
The eight-seeded Russian won 7-6(7/2), 6-4 winner against the 21-year-old qualifier.
Both top seed Maria Sharapova, the reigning French Open champion, and China’s Li Na, second seed here, start today having been given byes for the clay-court event which serves as a warm-up for May’s French Open.
