Soeda Eases to 2nd Round in Bangkok Challenger
Top seed Go Soeda of Japan spent just 66 minutes to beat Cem Ilkel of Turkey 6-2 6-1 in the rain interrupted US$50,000 Wind Energy Holding Bangkok Challenger 4 at the Rama Gardens Hotel yesterday.
The 147 th ranked Soeda showed his superior baseline game to eliminate the 436 th ranked opponent to enter the round of 16 in the ATP challenger which was interrupted by rain for two hours.
“I got nervous every time I play the first round. But it’s OK today as I played well to win,” said the 31-year-old who just arrived Bangkok on Sunday night after losing in the qualifying competition of the US Open.
“I have a day off to get used to the condition. It’s hot here but I like the weather. That’s why I come to play in Thailand quite often,” added Soeda, finalist in the January’s Bangkok Challenger Open 1, who will take on Australian Blake Mott in the second round.
Second weed Wu Di of China also moved into the second after he dashed the hope of Thai No 2 Kittipong Wachiramanowong 6-1 6-4. Fourth seed Amir Weintraub of Israel picked off Denys Molchanov of Ukraine 7-5 6-1.
Sixth seed Chen Ti of Taiwan, who won the Hua Hin Futures 1 on Saturday, continued his winning streaks to six matches in a row as he beat South African teenager Llyod Harris 7-5 6-1. 2014 champion Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia beat Yasutaka Uchiyama 7-5 6-4 while seventh seed Marc Sieber of Belgium beat American Connor Farren 6-2 6-2.
Thailand now has only teenage rising star Jirat Navasirisomboon who beat Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul 6-1 7-6 (7-5) in the all wild card holder affair on Monday, left. Jirat will take on Japanese eighth seed Yuya Kibi, ranked 290 in the world, today.
“He is a good player who has solid baseline and runs very fast. I have to focus on my game and avoid giving him easy points,” added the sophomore of Rajabhat Suan Dusit University who will crack into the top 900 for the first time next week.
“I already did beyond my expectations. No matter what happens in the next round I will be pleased,” added the Thai rising star.
In Hua Hin, Punn Bodhidatta beat Pedro Scocuglia of Brazil 6-1 6-4 to join Patcharapol Kawin, whose rival Thales Turini of Brazil retired with sickness at 6-4 1-2, in the second round of the US$10,000 ITF Hua Hin Futures 2 at the True Arena Hua Hin yesterday. National player Pruchya Isarow however went down to Taiwanese Lee Kuan Yi 4-6 1-6.
