Beats Aiko Nakamura of Japan 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, advancing to the quarterfinals of the Pattaya Women's Open.
By ALLON SINAIoblizer 88(photo credit: )
Tzipi Obziler continued to show on Thursday morning that it's only a matter of time before she breaks into the world's top 100, defeating Aiko Nakamura of Japan 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, and advancing to the quarterfinals of the Pattaya Women's Open in Thailand.
Thursday's victory was Obziler's second straight against a top-100 player and will lift the No. 139-ranked Israeli more than 20 places in the WTA rankings.
Obziler, who is only two months shy of her 34th birthday and one of the oldest players on tour, faces Shuai Peng (42) in the last eight, knowing that a victory will put her at the brink of the world's top 100.
Nakamura (56) was the first to break serve in Thursday's match, taking a 4-2 lead on her way to a 6-3 first set win.
Obziler broke her Japanese opponent in the first game of the second set and went on to win five of the next six games to even the match.
After splitting the first two games of the decisive set, the Israeli reeled off five consecutive games and wrapped up one of the biggest wins in her career.
Obziler had to play three rounds of qualifiers just to book her place in the main draw at Pattaya, and is now only three wins away from repeating Shahar Pe'er's success in Thailand last year.
Pe'er won the Pattaya tournament in 2006, but chose this year to train in Israel rather than defend her title.
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