Kuwaiti advances; Sayer stunts Groth

Abdulah Magdaz of Kuwait and Martin Sayer of Hong Kong took the steam out of the giant-slaying Shuhei Uzawa of Japan and Samuel Groth of Australia, respectively, yesterday to make it to the 16th Mitsubishi Lancer ITF Juniors boys finals.

The sixth-seeded Magdaz, losing finalist in the strong Orange Bowls tournament in Miami last year, overcame Uzawa, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, in a marathon match that lasted for over two hours in the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center center court.

The Kuwaiti did it despite back pains.

"I felt pain in my back. I’m just lucky I won this match," said Magdaz, winner of Group 3 tournaments in Tunisia and Egypt last year and losing finalist in a Group 1 event in Osaka, Japan early this year.

Sayer, ranked seventh here and 60th in the world, came back from a set down to subdue a power-hitting Groth, 5-7, 6-0, 6-0, and advance to the finals against Magdaz in this Group 1 ITF-rated event sponsored by Mitsubishi Lancer.

"He’s a strong player. I’m happy I won against him," said the 17-year-old Sayer, a British lad born in Hong Kong, after closing in on his third title in two years. He won tournaments in Vietnam in October and in Manila last July.

Groth, who has a penchant for throwing his racket in frustration, blamed his loss to the scorching heat.

"It was so hot I can’t see and I can’t move," said the 17-year-old Groth, whose long list of upset wins included those against No. 9 Weerapat Doakmailee of Thailand in the second round, No. 10 Christopher Hedl of Australia in the third and top seed Vivek Shokeen of India in the quarterfinals.

"After I won the first set, I was trying to keep going but the heat got me and he (Sayer) was just fitter than me," said the Melbourne native who is currently No. 5 back home.

Girls top seed Chan Yung Jan of Chinese Taipe rammed into her toughest opponent so far – No. 4 Mikarle Buzarnescu of Romania – but came through with clutch winners in the deciding third set to pull off a 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 triumph to arrange an all-Taiwanese finals with Hsu Wen Hsim.