Chan was soon brought back to Earth as her serve was broken in the first game but the Taiwanese pair broke back immediately. Basuki dropped her serve in the fourth game, a failure that proved crucial as the rest of the games went with serve and Chan and Chuang took the set 6-3.
The unseeded Zalameda and Basuki then showed why they had emerged as the surprise package of the doubles tournament, bouncing back to take the second set by the same score.
The title came down to the final set where the scoring system changed to leave the first pair to reach 10 points the victors, so long as they were two points clear of their opponents.
The first nine points went with serve before Chuang launched into a stinging forehand return on Basuki’s serve that Zalameda could only volley into the net.
The point proved decisive as there were no more breaks before a great volley by Chuang claimed the contest 10-7.
■BALI
REUTERS, BALI, INDONESIA
Aravane Rezai won the Tournament of Champions in Bali yesterday when top seed Marion Bartoli retired with a quad injury after losing the first set 7-5.
The win gave Rezai the second title of her career following success at Strasbourg in May and lifted her into the world’s top 30 for the first time.
“It’s a big surprise to finish like that — I’m very sorry for her,” said Rezai, who earned US$200,000.
Bartoli had broken her fellow Frenchwoman to lead 3-2, but failed to serve out the set at 5-4 and was unable to convert a break point on Rezai’s serve at 5-5.
Tenth seed Rezai held for 6-5 and then struck a backhand winner to end a long rally to earn two set points. Bartoli then walked to the chair wincing in pain and after having her left thigh taped up she immediately double-faulted to lose the set before throwing in the towel.
Bartoli had been bidding for her third title of the year.
■FLEA MARKET CUP
STAFF WRITER
Taiwan’s Lu Yen-hsun won the Flea Market Cup Chuncheon 2009, a Challenger Tour ATP Tournament, in Chuncheon, South Korea, yesterday. Lu defeated Dutchman Igor Sijsling 6-2, 6-3 in the final.
Lu earned US$14,400 and another 100 points on the ATP ranking, securing a spot in the top 100 ATP players when they are announced next week.
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