GIANT killer Thomas John Fancutt of Australia continued his fairytale run to qualify for the semi-finals of the Air Pacific Open Junior Championship in Lautoka today.
Featuring in the boys singles section, the unranked Fancutt's impressive form started in the second round when he stunned number one seed Li-Lun Lee of Korea in straight sets.
Fancutt recorded a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Lee who holds a world junior ranking of 220.
In the third round Fancutt downed Matthew Woolman of New Zealand 6-3, 6-2. Fancutt pulled off another surprise result during the quarter-finals at the Regional Tennis Complex in Nadovu yesterday.
This time he upset fellow countryman and fifth seeded Lawrence Bataljin 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Tournament referee Patrick O'Rourke said close results were recorded in the quarter finals.
He said the standard of tennis was high especially in the girls section because of the high number of world ranked players.
"Thomas from Australia has done well despite not having a world ranking," O'Rourke said.
"The other player who has impressed is Duck Hee Lee from Korea. He is seeded second but only celebrated his 14th birthday last month."
"He has exceptional talent and is very quick around the court. Duck will face Miladin Tepsic in the semi-final which is a rematch from the New Caledonia Junior Championship last week where the Korean won."
"The Ria Vaidya from Singapore is unranked but has qualified for the girls semi-finals. In New Caledonia she lost in the first round so she has shown major improvement. There were long quarter final matches with four of them being decided via the third set."
Fiji's Tarani Kamoe lost her quarter-final fixture to Vaidya in the girls singles section. Kamoe went down in a tie breaker 6-3, 7-6 (3).
Papua New Guinea hopeful and International Tennis Federation scholarship holder Marcia Tere-Apisah also bombed out in the quarter-final via a tie breaker. She lost to second seed Danielle Feneridis of New Zealand 6-3, 7-6 (6).
Number one seed Danielle Wagland of Australia retired midway in her clash against Claudia Williams of New Zealand handing the Kiwi a semi-final spot.
Results: quarter-finals
Boys: Thomas John Fancutt bt Lawrence Bataljin 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; Ho-Hin Park bt Olly Sadler 6-2, 1-6, 7-5; Mathew Tepsic bt Rhett Purcell 7-6 (4), 1-6, 6-3; Duck Hee Lee bt Nathan Lewis 6-1, 6-4.
Girls: Claudia Williams bt Danielle Wagland 6-3, 3-0 (retired), Bridget Liddell bt Sade Atkinson 3-6, 6-4, 6-3; Ria Vaidya bt Tarani Kamoe 6-2, 6-3; Danielle Feneridis bt Marcia Tere-Apisah 6-3, 7-6 (7).