Nungnadda Win in Khon Kaen

   Nungnadda Wannasuk got off to a flying start in her crusade for a home title as she downed Chinese Lu Jia-xiang in the first round of the US$10,000 SAT-PTT ITF Women's Circuit 2 at Srichaphan Tennis Academy in Khonkaen yesterday.

    The 17-year-old from Nakhon Ratchasima, one of the Kingdom's strong contenders in the tournament, prevailed in straight sets 6-4 6-4 to become the only Thai survivor on the opening day.

    The teenage prodigy, ranked 574 in the world, will line up a second round date against Chinese fifth-seeded Lei Huang who bounced back from the first set deficit to move past Hong Da-jong of South Korea 3-6 6-4 6-4.

Two other Thais collapsed in their campaigns. Qualifier Nicha Lertpitaksinchai had no match for Japan's Eriko Mizuno after she surrendered easily 2-6 1-6. 

  The other Thai victim was Nutwadee Suthiprapha as she was shut out by Indian eighth-seeded Ankita Bhambri 1-6 6-2 1-6.

   In the doubles first round Thai duo Varatchaya Wongteanchai and Sophia Mulsap, who claimed the trophy together in the first leg last week, extended their supremacy by beating Ankita Bhambri and Meghha Vakaria of India 6-3 6-1.

   Top seed Napaporn Tongsalee looks forward to making amends to her premature exit last week by losing to Indonesian Jessy Rompies in round one as she struts her stuff today. But she has a heavy assignment on the opposite side of the net as her opponent is last week's champion Vlada Ekshibarova of Uzbekistan.

Lerpong Amsa-ngiam

The Nation