And Dellacqua Goes Down
by Barry Wood

Hot and humid is normal in Pattaya except for about two weeks a year, and the conditions were not easy for the players on Thursday. They were not that great for the spectators either, but at least they didn't have to run. Perhaps that's why most of the tennis was more workmanlike than inspired, although there were plenty of pretty good rallies. But spectacular wasn't on the menu today.

Nor was victory for the number two seed, Casey Dellacqua, who was beaten 7-5 2-6 6-2 by Slovenia's Andreja Klepac. You probably know nothing about her, so I'll tell you that she was introduced to tennis at the age of three by her mother, who is a chemist. Her father is a volleyball coach, and so it's natural that her hobbies include volleyball along with surfing the internet and going for walks, among other things. And she's 22 next month.

"I'm very happy about this win today," she said. "I played quite good tennis. In the second set I made a few more mistakes and my serve was not at the same level as before, but then I focused back. It was unbelievably humid and hot, but the conditions are the same for both players and the one who is fighting more and not thinking about the conditions is the winner."

Dellacqua had admitted on Wednesday that she was pretty much played out after so many matches this year, and the testing conditions therefore probably didn't help. And while giving due credit to her opponent for playing well, especially with her groundstrokes, she did admit afterwards to not feeling her best, and that during the 10 minute break before the final set she was too tired even to get out of her chair and return to the locker room to put on fresh clothes. Still, the week should leave her in or on the edge of the top 50 when the next ranking list is released.

The top seed, Agnieszka Radwanska did survive, beating former champion Anne Kremer 6-2 6-2. That sounds easy, but it wasn't. Radwanska began well, sweeping to a 3-0 lead, and she made frequent use of the dropshot, usually to good effect. After Kremer belatedly got into the match there were, said Radwanska, two crucial games.

"It wasn't easy. She was playing very good," said the Australian Open quarter-finalist. "Especially the first set was very close. I was up 3-0 very fast and then she came back and it was almost 3-all. That game at 3-2 was very important, and also the game when it was 4-1 and it was such a long game for 5-1."

Radwanska's frequent use of the dropshot was a vital way of preventing the points dragging on in the hot weather.

"I've always done a few dropshots, but it was very hot and she plays not so fast but no mistakes, just pushing the ball to the other side and it's difficult to finish the point. That's why I did so many," she said.

Another match of interest was Tamarine Tanasugarn's match with Olga Poutchkova. Tammy had upset the number eight seed Anastasia Rodionova in the first round, and she fought gallantly against her Russian opponent. Poutchkova served for the first set at 5-3, was broken, but then broke the Thai back for the set after Tanasugarn had led the game 40-0. So 6-4 to Poutchkova.

Encouraged by the noisy crowd, Tammy edged the second set 6-4, and in a dramatic conclusion she failed to convert a match point at 5-2 before recovering from 15-40 in her next service game to take the final set 6-4.