Tennis: Qualifying helped giant-killer

Optimistic Israeli qualifier Tzipora Obziler isn't exactly quaking in her size nines at the prospect of squaring off against a top-20 player for a semifinal spot today.

Obziler pulled off the surprise of the ASB Classic's third day with a straight sets 6-3, 6-4 win over fifth seed and defending champion Katarina Srebotnik.

That puts the 32-year-old up against tournament second seed and world No 17 Daniela Hantuchova. But forget the size of the challenge. Obziler, ranked No 131, has an easy way of balancing the scales.

"For me it's a better position for me to play her because I have seen her more times than she's seen me," Obziler said.

It is the second successive year an Israeli has progressed from qualifying to make the last eight. Shahar Peer, who has had a good year and is now world No 45, also reached the quarter-finals last January by the long route.

Obziler is on her third trip to Auckland and it's the second time she's made it past qualifying into the main draw.

She reckons playing qualifying - when she won three games to make the Classic field of 32 - helped handle the gusty conditions yesterday.

"Especially in this kind of weather, it takes a little time to adjust. So for me it helped," she said.

One other Israeli has won the Classic singles crown. In 2002, Anna Smashnova beat chunky Russian Tatiana Panova. By a curious quirk, the other time Obziler made it to the main draw, in 2003, she lost in the opening round - to Smashnova.

As for popular Srebotnik, singles and doubles champion last year, she admitted it was not her day.

"Obziler played one of her best matches. She was definitely on. I didn't play my best, I had my chances, I just couldn't get the ball in. But it's okay. It's not the end of the world."