|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Thursday, 23 October 2003 |
 |
|
 |
Sports | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
Renouk, Rajiv hopes dashed Sri Lanka's presence in the singles event of the US $10,000 ITF Grand Salm Development Fund event, F1 Championship (tournament 1) disappeared yesterday on the SLTA Courts, Green Path. After all five local players' bids to qualify for the main competition failed on Tuesday, Sri Lanka's wild card entries, Renouk Wijemanne and Rajiv Rajapakse promised to redeem some fortunes when they were placed in hopeful positions overnight, when bad light halted paly on Tuesday, Wijemanne, after conceding the first set 3/6, staged an admirable recovery to lead Dutchman Sander Groen 5/3 in the second set overnight, then the US-based Sri Lanka duly took the second set 6/3 last morning. But in the deciding set the 42-year-old Groen, a qualifier was in devastating touch routing Wijemanne 6/0 in only 25 minutes. Rajapakse, a set down ended his unfinished first round match with Koji Moomura, the Japanese qualifier on a promising note by levelling the second 5/5 on Tuesday night. But any hopes of Rajapakse taking the match to the full distance was dashed in only 10 minutes yesterday morning with the Japanese winning in straight sets 6/2, 7/5. The talking point of the day, however, was the exit of top seed Tasuku Iwami. The 293rd ranked player in the world surprisingly failed to win a game against compatriot Norikazu Sugiama, a qualifier as long as the 2nd round match lasted, which wasn't beyond the opening set. After being led 0/5, the top seed retired, ostensibly due to illness and conceded the match to his fellow countryman. The second seed, Czech Jaroslav Pospisil, however, survived he first round after some moments of anxiety. His opponent, Britisher Matthew Smith, did well to take first set but the Czech fought back to level the scores. the 391st ranked player touched his best form to take the deciding set and the match, 4/6, 6/3, 6/0. He then went onto paly his delayed 2nd round match against Rajapakse's conqueror Motomora who he beat 6/3, 7/6 (8). |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
