Oleksandra Korashvili upsets Ho Ching Wu to enter semis – Chang ITF Pro Circuit 2012
Ukrainian qualifier, Oleksandra Korashvili, stunned Hong Kong’s Ho Ching Wu with a breadstick at the Chang ITF Pro Circuit 2012 on Thursday. She notched up a 6-2, 6-1 victory against the Hong Kong challenger to power into the semi-finals at this ITF (International Tennis Federation) Women’s Circuit event taking place from 10th to 16th December in Bangkok, Thailand.
The underdog barely sweated in the final set and eventually carved out the victory in less than an hour. Battling each other for the first time, Korashvili comfortably progressed into the semi-finals at this outdoor hard court tournament.
The 16-year-old high-spiritedly entered the Rama Sport Garden Complex. She drew the first blood early in the set and leaped to a 3-1 lead. The Ukrainian then held her composure and after availing another break chance in the end, she clicked the opener with a 6-2 win. Korashvili was never challenged with any hindrance and cashed two out of six break chances to inch towards her goal.
Ranked 1044th in the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Premier Rankings, Korashvili kept her momentum rolling in the following set. She got the desiderated break in the second game and jumped to a 3-0 lead. After Wu came on the score sheet in the fourth game, the Ukrainian stroke out the last three games and subsequently clinched the set with a breadstick. She brushed off all three breakpoints she encountered and converted two out of four break chances to her advantage.
Next challenge for Korashvili is the fifth seed, Nungnadda Wannasuk. The local star stunned the second seed, Wing-Yau Venise Chan from Hong Kong, in a three-set thriller to set up this meeting. Wannasuk made an epic comeback from a set down to formulate a 2-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 victory.
The Chinese challenger, Yafan Wang, will join Korashvili in the final four. She trashed the Japanese starlet, Mana Ayukawa, in straight sets to set up this encounter. Wang nudged up a 6-4, 6-4 score line in an hour and 15-minute marathon to progress.
Up next for Wang is the eighth seed, Deniz Khazaniuk, who crushed fourth seeded German, Katharina Lehnert, with a breadstick to advance.
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