Top-Ranked Kalkman Loses in Semifinals

Third-seeded Maaike Smit of the Netherlands upset top-ranked Monique Kalkman, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, Thursday in the semifinals of the women’s U.S. Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships at the Racquet Club of Irvine.

Smit, a gold medalist at the 1996 Paralympics, rallied from a one-set deficit to defeat Kalkman, also from the Netherlands, the defending U.S. Open champion. Smit, who will be playing in her first U.S. Open final Saturday, will face the winner of today’s match between second-seeded and seven-time U.S. Open champion Chantal Vandierendonck (Netherlands) and fourth-seeded Daniela DiToro (Australia).

In the men’s quarterfinals, top-seeded Laruent Giammartini (France) defeated No. 7 Jim Black (Oceanside), 6-2, 6-2. Giammartini will play Paralympic gold medalist Ricky Molier (Netherlands), who was a 6-3, 6-1 winner over La Jolla’s Michael Foulks.

In today’s quarterfinal matches, Costa Mesa’s David Hall, the defending U.S. Open champion, will play Scott Douglas (Pelham, Ala.) and Diamond Bar’s Chip Parmelly, seeded fifth, will take on his double’s partner, third-seeded Steve Welch (Arlington, Tex.). Parmelly and Welch won the gold medal in doubles at this year’s Paralympics.

The quarterfinals of the men’s doubles and the semifinals in women’s doubles will also be today.