Tennis at Phuket’s TSLC

PHUKET: The final of the second International Tennis Federation (ITF) women’s tournament between number six seed Melanie Klaffner from Austria and Serbia’s Eric Doroteja was held at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC) last weekend.

Melanie won the final 3-6, 6-3 and 6-2 to make up for her semifinal defeat in the first ITF women’s tournament by Luksika Kumkhum.

Eric, who had to qualify to enter the tournament, said “I tried very hard to win the first set but Klaffner is a strong opponent who played better and more consistently, forcing me to make more unforced errors.”

In the semifinals, Klaffner beat Lee So-Ra in straight sets 7-6 (6), 6-3 and Eric Doroteja beat Lee Ya-Hsuan 6-0, 6-4.

In the doubles final, Thailand’s Nicha Lertpitaksinchai and Paengtarn Plipuech, who won the first ITF women’s doubles tournament, beat Fatma Al Nabhani and Ya-Hsuan Lee 6-2, 6-4.

TSLC hosted two women’s SAT ITF Pro Circuit tournaments over two weeks.

Thanyapura will welcome ITF players and coaches back again next year.

The event was proudly sponsored by the Phuket Gazette, PGTV and ‘Phuket Today’, the island’s only national television show, broadcast daily on True Visions.

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