Matsuoka Wins Title in Tennis Qualifying

Japan’s Shozo Matsuoka beat Shahar Perkiss of Israel, 7-5, 6-4, to win the men’s singles title in the Asia-Oceania regional tennis qualifying competition for the Seoul Olympics.

Lee Jeong-Myung of South Korea won the women’s singles by downing Ilana Berger of Israel, 6-3, 6-1, on the hard courts of the Esaka Tennis Center. Japan’s Kumiko Okamoto beat beat Li Xinyi of China, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, to take third place.

In men’s singles play to decide sixth place, Toshihisa Tsuchihashi of Japan beat China’s You Wei, 6-3, 7-5, to pick up the final berth to the men’s singles competition in Seoul.

In the men’s doubles finals, the Indoneisan pair of Suharyadi and Wailan Walalangi beat the Japanese team of Matsuoka and Toshihisa Tsuchihashi, 7-6, 6-2.

The top six men and three women plus the first two men’s doubles pairs from the region will compete in the Seoul Games.