Chinese scores upset
Fifth seed Liu Shaozhuo of China stunned Week 1 runner-up Yoo Mi of South Korea, 6-3, 6-3, on Friday to barge into the finals of the PLDT-Smart ITF Women’s Circuit Week 2 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
The win set up the left-handed Liu, ranked No. 667 in the WTA rankings, to a championship duel with South Korean Han Na-lee.
The seventh-seeded Han easily earned her finals ticket after eighth pick Nicha Lertpitaksinchai of Thailand retired due to dizziness and a bum stomach after trailing, 6-3, 3-0.
Earlier, Han marched into the Last 4 in a similar fashion as Week 1 champion and compatriot Lee Ye-ra also retired at 4-3 due to cramps on her right leg Thursday morning.
En route to the finals, the 19-year-old Liu, who could only reach the quarterfinals of Week 1, downed Indonesian qualifier Beatrice Gumulya, 6-1, 6-2, before ousting Filipino bet Czarina Mae Arevalo, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.
Meanwhile, Han will be eyeing a double championship after her partnership with Yoo produced a 6-4, 6-3 victory over third seeds Gally De Wael of Belgium and Elodie Rogge-Dietrich of France in the semifinals.
Han and Yoo will battle in the finals Arevalo and Katharina Lehnert of Germany, who won over Lee and Kim Sun-jung of Korea via default.




