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Inquirer
Last updated 03:56am (Mla time) 11/16/2006

Published on page A23 of the November 16, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

MARI Inoue came out triumphant in a match between two foreigners with Filipino roots in the $10,000 Holcim-ITF Women’s Circuit 2 yesterday.

The 22-year-old Fil-Japanese Inoue overwhelmed Fil-American Denise Dy, 6-4, 6-3, barely displaying her best form at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

“I wasn’t feeling well because of a cold, so I just tried to hit the ball,” said the unseeded Inoue, who finished middle school at the exclusive Fujioka Women’s High.

Inoue, the youngest among three children of a Japanese businessman and a Filipina from Pili, Camarines Sur, said she expects a tough match in the second round against Chinese Shao Shitong, who pulled off a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 upset win against third-seeded Biffy Kaufman of the Unites States.

The 17-year-old Dy, who is playing in the Doha Asian Games next month, also bowed out in the first round of the Circuit 1 competition last week.

“I’d say that I only played 40 percent out there,” the US-based Dy said, claiming she has been suffering from colds the past week.

Filipina bet Czarina Mae Arevalo, trying to make up for her early exit in Circuit 1, advanced after a 7-5, 6-4 triumph over China’s Xu Zhang.

The top-ranked Arevalo arranged a second-round battle against another Chinese, Dong Nan, who disposed off Filipino wild card Noelle Nikki Zoleta, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.

Zoleta also struggled with partner Noelle Conchita in the doubles, bowing 6-0, 6-0 to Kaufmann and Maureen Diaz of the United States.

The local pair of Trudy Amoranto and Aileen Rogan also crashed out after a 6-1, 6-4 loss to South Koreans Kim Jung-eun and Lim Sae-mi, who both won their singles matches as well.

Kim repulsed sixth-seeded compatriot Han Sung-hee, 6-4, 6-0, while Lim triumphed over Slovenian Maja Kambic, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5.

Arevalo will meet Chinese Dong Nan, a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 winner over Filipino wild card Noelle Nikki Zoleta, while

In other matches, Korean Kim Jung-Eun eliminated sixth-seeded compatriot Han Sung-hee, 6-4, 6-0, Lyoo Sung-hee stunned eighth-ranked Briton Melissa Berry, 6-2, 0-6, 6-2, and fifth seed Taiwanese Kao Shao-yuan won over Spanish Nivea Bezich, 6-4, 5-3 (ret.).

Top seeds Kao Shao-Yuan of Chinese Taipei and Thassha Vitayaviroj of Thailand beat Chinese Shao Shi-Tong and Slovenian Maja Kambic, 6-2, 6-3, to gain the second round in the doubles tournament. Jasmine W. Payo