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Friday, 12th October 2012
In Japan Sports News,
Doi delights crowd with semi-finals place at Open
The home crowds were no doubt cheering on Misaki Doi as she fought hard for a place in the semi-finals of the Japan Open in Osaka.
Indeed, audience cheers will have filled the venue when she managed to defeat number seven seed Chanelle Scheepers 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 to take a place in the penultimate round.
This is the furthest a Japanese player has come in the championship, with none ever progressing beyond the first round before.
The rising tennis star was introduced to the sport at the age of six and has trained at the National Training Centre in Tokyo since 2008.
In June this year, she fell out of Wimbledon in the first round, however, she managed to make her way into the third round of the same Grand Slam in 2011.
She faces stiff competition in the next match, with Britain's Heather Watson having also secured a place in the semi-finals.
Pauline Parmentier bowed out to Watson in a tough fight to the end, with the Briton nabbing a 7-5, 6-3 victory.
It was not such a great day for fellow Briton Laura Robson, however, as she lost out to a place in the next round after being triumphed by China's Chang-Kai-Chen 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4).
Seeded eighth in the competition and having secured an Olympic silver medal in the doubles alongside Andy Murray, Dobson looked well placed to achieve success in Osaka.
Tennis powerhouse Maria Sharapova sent her out of Wimbledon in the second round, however, she qualified for both the Australia Open and Roland Garros earlier in the year.
The big win of the day was when top speed Samantha Stosur stormed to a straight set win over Jamie Hampton of the US.
Racking up a 6-2, 6-4 victory to take her through to the semis, the player seemed a far cry from the one who struggled against Virginie Razzano in the previous round.
Posted by Mark Smith
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