Upsets continue at Narita

NARITA, Japan, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Yuri Fudoh was the only player from Japan Friday to advance to the quarterfinals of the World Ladies Match Play Championship.

On a rainy day, Fudoh, the top seed from the Japanese LPGA Tour, beat Rachel Teske of Australia, 3 and 1, at Narita Golf Club.

Teske was one of four upset victims in the second round, joining Karrie Webb of Australia, Laura Diaz and Cristie Kerr. They were four of the top eight seeds in the tournament.

"All around, it was not a good day today," Diaz said.

The top three seeds lost in the first round, including the incomparable Annika Sorenstam, who dropped a 2 and 1 decision to Chieko Amanuma, the lowest seed in the tournament.

Se Ri Pak and fellow Korean Mi Hyun Kim, seeded second and third, respectively, also lost first-round matches.

Of the four Japanese tour players to make it out of the first round, Fudoh was the only one to move on to the quarterfinals.

It's not much of a surprise, considering she is the country's best player.

Fudoh, 26, has won 20 titles since turning professional in 1996, including three this year. Among her 2002 victories was the Nicherei Cup, where Webb was runner-up.

Fudoh was a relatively easy 3 and 2 winner over Beth Bauer, the LPGA Tour's eighth seed, in the first round. She had an easier time against a tired Teske, building a 3-up lead after eight holes.

Next up for Fudoh is Korean Grace Park, the LPGA Tour's 12th seed, who bounced Webb, 1-up. She grabbed a 2-up lead by winning the 14th and 15th holes before holding on.

"Obviously, I knew that she is a great player, a top player, and that I had to play my best to beat her," Park said. "Fortunately for me and unfortunately for her, she made a few mistakes that cost her the tournament, but that's the way it goes."

"I bogeyed 14 and Grace birdied 15," Webb said. "So when you lose two holes like that late in the match, it's hard to make up ground."

Teske made it out of the first round with a two-day, 28-hole victory over Yu-Chen Huang.

Hee-Won Han made sure the top five players from the best tour in women's golf went home early, beating Diaz, 3 and 2. Han, the 13th seed from the LPGA Tour, built a 4-up lead after 11 holes.

"She was steady and I made bogeys and didn't make any birdies," Diaz said.

Kerr's departure meant seven of the top eight seeds failed to make it past the second round. She lost to Kelly Robbins, the LPGA's 15th seed, 2-up.

"Yeah, we both played good today," Robbins said. "I just birdied nine, 10 and 11, and she made a three-putt, which is tough in these kind of conditions."

The top remaining seed is No. 6 Carin Koch of Sweden, who bounced Catriona Matthew of Scotland, 5 and 3. Matthew, the LPGA's 14th seed, lost holes 2-4 and won just one against Koch.

Koch's quarterfinal opponent will be Michele Redman, the 10th seed from the LPGA Tour. She cruised past Takayo Bando, 4 and 3.

Redman and Koch will meet in a rematch of their Solheim Cup match from two years ago, which the Swede rallied to win.

"Yeah, I'm sure she'll be up for that and will be ready to get me back," Koch said. "I have good memories from our last match."

Rosie Jones, the ninth seed, is the second-best player left.

She made it to the quarterfinals with a 5 and 4 rout of Amanuma after winning by the identical score in the first round.

"I really didn't give her much of a chance to come back," said Jones, who faces Kim in the quarterfinals. "You'd have to make a lot of birdies out there to do that, which would have been hard to do today. I'm just glad she took care of Annika for me. It would have been hard for me to beat Annika in this rain today."

Robbins will meet Midori Yoneyama, Japan's 14th seed, who edged Canada's Lorie Kane, the 11th seed from the LPGA, 1-up.