Top seeds Lee Hyung Taik from South Korea, Li Na of China and Danai Udomchoke
of Thailand advanced into the quarterfinals in the Asiad tennis tournament
singles events here at the Khalifa Tennis Courts, Doha on Sunday.
Lee cruised past Wang Yu from China 6-2, 6-0, while Li easily defeated Sandy
Gumulya from Indonesia 6-1, 6-3. However, it was not such a good day for India
with dramatic exits of Shikha Uberoiin the women's singles and Uberoi/Sania
Mirza in the women's doubles event, mainly because Uberoi was nursing a leg
injury.
The seven remaining seeded players all won their matches to reach the last
eight of the men's singles event. Lee will now play Uzbekistan's seventh seed
Denis Istomin, who beat Aisam Ul Haq Qureshi from Pakistan 6-4, 6-3.
Third seeded Udomchoke demonstrated why he is one of the in-form players thus
far in the competition, conceding only two games to Wong Wing Luen Wayne from
Hong Kong of China in a masterly 6-1,6-1 performance. He now faces the only
unseeded player Jun Woong Sun from South Korea, who ousted China's Sun Peng 6-2,
3-6, 6-1.
In the men's doubles, top seeds Leander Paes/Mahesh Bhupathi from India made
quick work of Mohammed Ghareeb/Ahmad Mohammad from Kuwait 6-1, 6-1 in the round
of 16.
There was drama in the women's singles match involving second seed Zheng Jie
from China and Uberoi when the latter was forced to retire with a strained
muscle in her left leg while trailing 4-0 in the opening set and departed the
court in tears.
Uberoi returned to the court with partner Mirza in the doubles event but
failed to reach next round against Japanese pair Ryoko Fuda/Tomoko Yonemura. The
Indian duo were seeded third, but lost 6-3, 7-6(6).
India had more to cheer later when Mirza defeated Yoo Mi from South Korea
6-1, 6-4 to reach the last eight in singles.
Mirza finished the day by reaching the semifinals with partner Paes in the
mixed doubles. The Indian top seeds won their match against Sonchat
Ratiwatana/Montinee Tangphong from Thailand 6-4, 6-3.
They will next play Chinese Yu Xinyuan/Sun Tiantian who defeated Wang Yeu
Tzuoo/Chuang Chia Jung from Chinese Taipei 6-2, 6-4.