Noppawan routs Nudnida after shaky beginning
SEA Games champion Noppawan Lertcheewakarn overcame a shaky start to beat campmate Nudnida Luangnam 26 61 60 to book a second round spot in the US$25,000 Thailand ITF Pro Circuit at the National Tennis Development Centre on Tuesday.
Playing her first match in more than a month, Noppawan made plenty of unforced errors in the first set before getting into the groove in the second. After allowing her hitting partner at the Pyramid Academy to win a game at 31, she dominated the next nine games to wrap up the match in one hour and 47 minutes.
“We practice together every day. So we know how to play each other. In the first set, I rushed too much and made so many errors,” said Noppawan, the former world junior No 1.
“So in the second set I tried to focus on my game, not thinking about anything else. I varied the pace and hit the ball early and avoided making mistakes. I felt more confident as the match went on and finished the rally at the net every time I moved there,” said the 24yearold from Chiang Mai, now ranked No 492 in the world.
Noppawan joined teenage star Bunyawi Thamchaiwat as the only two Thais remaining in the singles draw. Noppawan next takes on Taiwanese sixth seed Hsu Ching Wen, who routed Jessy Rompies of Indonesia 76 (97) 60.
“I lost to her last year at Rama Garden courts. She was at the top of her game then. She is a very solid baseliner. I have to bring my A game to beat her and try not to give her easy points,” said Noppawan, who finished her exams at Bangkok University.
Four Thais were eliminated in other first round action. Second seed Akikoa Omae of Japan, No 363, beat wildcard entrant Chompoothip Jandakate 64 64. Russian rising star Marta Paigina, only 17, toppled Thamachan Momkoonthod 61 61 while another wildcard holder Plobrung Plipuech went down to Singaporean Stefanie Tan 60 64.
The only upset was the defeat of seventh seed Kamonwan Buayam, who had trouble with drop shots against Lee PeiChi of Taiwan before losing the match 63 75 in 90 minutes. The national Fed Cup player also lost to the Taiwanese twice in Phuket and Bangkok in 2014.
Elsewhere, top seed Yana Sizikova of Russia beat Snehadevi Reddy of India 62 16 61, third seed Kamila Kerimbayeva of Kazakhstan downed Australian Nakitha Bains 36 62 63 and fourth seed Ling Zhang of Hong Kong picked off countrywoman Katherine Ip 64 63.
