Luksika’s brave run is over

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Luksika’s brave run is over

By Lerpong Amsa-ngaim 
The Nation

 

Luksika Kumkhum courtesy Korea Open

 

Now I want top 100, says Thai No1 after  semi-final loss in Japan

 

LUKSIKA Kumkhum finally exited the Korea Open yesterday but immediately targeted a return to the top 100 after one of the best weeks of her career.

 

The Thai No1 put up a great fight against world No10 and current French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia before losing their semi-final match 6-3 1-6 3-6 in the Korean Open in Incheon.

 

Ranked only No 155 in the world, the Thai qualifier brought the top seed opponent to her knees in the first set with her sharp cross-court baseline attack before the Grand Slam winner called on all her skills to turn things around.

 

“I gave my all out there. She really hit hard in the third set and pinned me at the baseline with her deep ball,” said Luksika, who again had to settle for a career-best semi-final run, as she did in Osaka in 2014.

 

 

 

“I ran as much as I could but her ball speed was so powerful.”

 

After an excellent start that dazzled the Korean crowd, Luksika played a loose service game at the beginning of the second set and was overwhelmed with errors that allowed the Latvian big-hitter to level the match.

 

 In the decisive set, Luksika appeared to have the momentum again when she broke to love in the second game to lead 2-0, thanks to two double faults from the top seed.

 

After falling behind 3-0, Ostapenko started raising the level of her game by launching a series of raids from both flanks which kept Luksika at bay. 

 

She broke back for 3-3 and surged to lead for the first time in the set at 4-3 as the Thai missed a few crucial points.

 

In the end the Latvian displayed the powerful groundstrokesd that carried her to victory on he clay courts of Paris and subdued Luksika after one hour and 50 minutes.

 

Despite her surprise run coming to an end, Luksika took the positive side from this week and was inspired to crack the top 100 again after reaching her career best at No 85 in 2014.

 

Jelena Ostapenko

 

“I won a set from a top player and came close at winning. Obviously she hit the ball harder than I do. If I meet her again, I have to be better prepared for counter-punching,” she said.

 

“However I feel more confident to come this far in a WTA event as a qualifier. I’m eyeing a return to the top 100 this year. But if I can’t make it by the end of the year, I can wait for 2018 as I don’t want to put pressure on myself.”

 

She will take a two-week break before entering a WTA event in Hong Kong followed by two WTA US$125K series in Hua Hin and Taiwan in November.

 

In yesterday’s other semi-final, Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia beat Richel Hogenkamp of the Netherlands 6-1 7-6 (9-7) in one hour and 44 minutes.

 

In the women’s doubles, Luksika redeemed her pride from the singles defeat, teaming up with Peangtarn Plipuech to upset third seed Nao Hibino of Japan and Oksana Kalashnikova of Georgia 7-5 6-2 to reach their first finals in a WTA event. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/sports/30327503

 

 

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