[Main Draw]

QUALIFYING CONCLUDEs IN LOS ANGELES

Samantha Teran advances to the Los Angeles quarters to meet Manuela Manetta. (photo © Carlisle Stockton)

Trailing two games to one after being whitewashed in the third game, Joshna Chinappa of India became the only non-seed to advance to the quarterfinal round of the $ 23,000 Epstein Becker & Green tourney in Los Angeles yesterday when she rallied through the close end-game portions on the fourth and fifth games of her 9-4 6-9 0-9 9-7 9-7 victory over seventh seed Aisling Blake. Chinappa will now face Raneem El Weleily, the third-seeded Egyptian who notched a trio of 9-1 stanzas in her decisive first-round match against Jenna Gates.

In other bottom-half action, second seed Samantha Teran and sixth seed Manuela Manetta advanced to their quarterfinal confrontation with their straight-set victories over qualifiers Karen Kronemayer and Dipika Pallikal respectively.

Up top, recently crowned U. S. National champion Natalie Grainger, the No. 1 seed and overwhelming favorite to win the tournament, quickly eliminated qualifier Tara Mullins. The remaining survivor of Wednesday’s tough qualifying draw, Neha Kumar, was too fatigued from her grueling 9-7 fifth-game qualifying final over Imelda Martinez to offer much resistance to her fellow Canadian Runa Reta, the eighth seed and ’03 U. S. Intercollegiate Individuals finalist, who will now face Grainger this afternoon.

The draw’s second quadrant has devolved into what should be a competitive match-up between Latasha Khan, who rose superior in her round of 16 match with Carolyn Russell, and fourth seed Lauren Briggs, who, in the only Thursday match other than Chinappa-Blake to go more than three games, dropped the opening frame against British compatriot Kirsty McPhee before asserting herself throughout the remainder of their match.

If Grainger performs as expected today and Khan is able to out-play Briggs, the ensuing semi between this pair would constitute a rematch of the ’07 U. S. Nationals final a few months ago in Portland, where Grainger pummeled Khan and ended her five-year hold on that title.

FIRST ROUND RESULTS: [MAIN DRAW]

[1] Natalie Grainger (USA) d [Q] Tara Mullins (CAN) 9-1,9-0 9-2
[8] Runa Reta (CAN) d [Q] Neha Kumar (CAN) 9-2 9-3 9-0
[4] Lauren Briggs (ENG) d Kirsty McPhee (ENG) 5-9 9-1 9-6 9-2
[5] Latasha Khan (USA) d Carolyn Russell (CAN) 9-4 9-1 9-7
Joshna Chinappa (IND) d [7] Aisling Blake (IRL) 9-4 6-9 0-9 9-7 9-7
[3] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) d Jenna Gates (ENG) 9-1 9-1 9-1
[6] Manuela Manetta (ITA) d [Q] Dipika Pallikal (IND) 9-2, 9-3 9-7
[2] Samantha Teran (MEX) d [Q] Karen Kronemayer (NED) 9-2, 9-2 9-6.