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Frazier beats Inoue in Japan Open

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Posted: Monday April 12, 1999 08:39 PM

Familiar territory: Amy Frazier won the Japan Open in 1995. AP

TOKYO (AP) -- Second-seeded Amy Frazier overwhelmed Haruka Inoue of Japan 6-0, 6-3 on a windy day with intermittent rain in the opening round of the Japan Open on Monday.

The match was played on an outside court following a three-hour delay, while a few matches in the main Ariake Colosseum were played with the roof closed.

"It was difficult out there because of the wind," Frazier said. "And she was a lot more consistent in the second set."

Frazier, the 1995 Japan Open women's champion, currently ranked 35th in the world, and defending champion and top seed Ai Sugiyama, who is No. 27, are highest-ranked in this tournament.

Sugiyama and third-seeded American Corina Morariu were idle Monday.

In a match in the stadium, fourth-seeded American Kimberly Po beat Miho Saeki of Japan 7-5, 6-4.

In the first set, Saeki, ranked 88th in the world, was at 5-4 and leading 40-15 on her serve when she made a few errors as Po began pounding shots down the line.

"In the second set, it wasn't as easy as it looked," said Po, the world's No. 58 player. "But I could tell she wasn't very happy losing the first set, and neither would I, if I was at 5-4 and 40-15. I had momentum going into the second set and she was a little down. So, all I tried to do was just keep the pressure on her."

In men's play, 10th-seeded Daniel Vacek of the Czech Republic beat past American Geoff Grant 6-1, 6-1.

 

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