INDONESIA’s Angelique Widjaja, the only surviving seed (6), and Japan’s unseeded Shinobu Asagoe, rated 168 in the world, entered the final of the fifth Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge at the Metropolitan Resort and Beach Club last night.

Seventeen year-old Angelique, the Wimbledon junior champ and world number five in the junior list, and 126 in the senior rankings, had another long three-set duel to go through before pulling off a 0-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over 20-year-old French girl Camille Pin in the first semifinal.

The second semifinal was expected to be a full time retrieving job for the hardworking and intelligent Osaka 25-year-old, Shinobu.

It turned out to be something else as it was her pretty hard-hitting Belarus opponent Olga Barabanchikova who was at the receiving end most of the time except for the last four games of the second set.

Shinobu won 6-2, 6-4 in what was an anticlimax to the big expectations of the handful of spectators who turned up for the semifinals. The winner stands to take home $11,400 and the runner-up $6,080.

Netherlands’ Seda Noorlander and Germany’s Kirstin Freye lifted the doubles crown to pocket $4,180 with a convincing 6-2, 6-4 win over Angelique and Morocco’s Bahia Mouhtassine.

Bahia, spurred by Angelique made a great effort to come back against the European pair, rated 120 in the world before this event. But Seda, for whom this is the second straight doubles title here, and Kirstin, were superior with their better understanding.

“We have been playing for some time now. We communicate with each other always on court and this was true today also,” said Seda and Kirstin.

Sultan Al Habtoor, chairman of Al Habtoor Motors was the chief guest for the final.

It is really surprising to find as to how people find no time to see top rate tennis free of cost in friendly surroundings.

Even if one quarter of the tennis players of the expat league and tournaments here and their sponsors come forward to occupy the 600-plus seats at the complex, the atmosphere would be much better especially for the players, most of whom are close to WTA honours.

The quality of tennis in general at the Al Habtoor this time has been better than in previous years as there was little to choose between the top eight players.

“In the first set I did not know how to tackle her game as she moves very fast across and she comes on to the ball very fast. I was very uncomfortable and lost the set before I could realise what was happening,” said Angelique.

“In the second set it could have gone either way but I managed to get some winners. The third had me 3-0 up but then Camille asked for an injury time-out and I lost concentration here. But with more slice to keep the ball low I got through without losing points.” the lanky Bandung teenager said.

Her coach Deddy Tedjamukti who has the credit of shaping up some of the top names in the game back home has nurtured Angelique from very young without any foreign stints or exposure at any level.

He said: “The wind was strong like yesterday (Thursday) and when it’s nature playing it’s part we cannot be too sure despite how strong our styles or techniques are. The strong winds from the seaside end was a little better than playing against it from the road end.”

Angelique agreed with this too. Leading 4-2, she started to cave in to pressure a little when Camille in a do-or-die effort thinned scores down to 5-3 as the tailwind became stronger at the road end. But, Angelique, the mentally strong Bali Open champion served out for the match.

Camille with a 126 as her world best once said: “Angelique is a talented player and tough to beat mentally despite being so young. In the second set when I could have managed a 6-4, it went to 5-5 and at this point I knew I had to win the match against a player of her standard in two straight sets.

“Physically she was better after my left thigh was strapped in the third set,” said Camille who trains near Marseilles with coach Bremond Eric. Bremond also coaches Habtoor veteran Laurence Andretto (France).

“My opponent (Angelique) looks a solid player and one who will be always difficult to beat,” Camille added.

Shinobu was pleased with herself to the point of saying, “I really do not think my opponent (Olga) played that badly. I played very well. All my returns were deep and this was disturbing for her attacking game.”

“You see she was a sub-50 player a year back before she took time off tennis. Her first serve is so good and forehands fantastic, and I was slightly worried but never too worried as to come under pressure in the second set,” said Shinobu who like Angelique is a delight to the court officials as well as the spectators with her very lady like and excellent court behaviour - something which Shinobu attributes to her upbringing.

The Japanese with her coach Yoshio Tanikawa, a former Japan ranked player were in no mood to talk about the opponent in the final. “Right now I am so happy with the way I played tonight. I have not played Angelique before but maybe in my room I will think out a way,” Shinobu said.

Shinobu knows how good Angelique can get to be. In the last Bali Open where Shinobu lost in the quarter-final, Angelique a wild card and as a debutant in a major WTA championships, lifted the crown to the delight of the vociferous home crowd. It was WTA history of some kind as she was just 16 then.