12 December 2005
Seeded players find the going easy
by Staff Reporter - Gulf News
Dubai: Seeds lived up to expectations after two days of the qualifiers at the seventh Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge at the Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa.
Olga Panova, seeded eighth at the two-day qualifiers, survived a scare before beating Kateryna Avdiyenko 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (3), while seasoned German campaigner, Caroline Schneider fresh from her three-set win against a jet-lagged Irina Buryachok fell to fifth seed, Nadejda Ostrovskaya 2-6, 7-5, 6-1.
Top seed Napaporn Tongsalee of Thailand also advanced with an easy 6-3, 6-3 win against Punam Reddy of India.
Also making steady progress and standing one match away from the main draw was fourth seed from Thailand, Montinee Tangphong with a 6-4, 6-2 win against close friend and fellow Thai, Thassha Vitayaviroj.
"Thassha is like my sister. We practise together daily and we're such good friends.
It's so painful when one has to lose on the court," Tangphong said. Sanaa Bhambri of India who had upset seventh seed Elena Tchalova on Saturday, went down to Algeria's Samia Medjahdi 6-1, 6-3.
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