ITF: Two top seeds sent home packing

Jia Jing Lu of China and Russia’s Valeriya Savinykh lost their matches in the round one.

Pune: Top seed and last year’s runner-up Jia Jing Lu of China and Russia’s Valeriya Savinykh lost their matches in the round one of the NECC Deccan ITF $25,000 women’s tennis tournament at Deccan Gymkhana on Wednesday.

Jia-Jing Lu of China was ousted by Nudnida Luangnam of Thailand (not in picture) 4-6, 6-7 (8-10) at the NECC ITF women’s tennis tournament at Deccan Gymkhana in Pune. (MILIND SAURKAR/HT)

Lu was ousted by Nudnida Luangnam of Thailand 4-6, 6-7 (8-10) while qualifier Corinna Dentoni of Italy plotted the downfall of second seed Savinykh 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to advance in the tournament.

Ranked 348, Luangnam needed an hour and 53 minutes to stun 163rd ranked Lu who committed six double faults to end on the losing side.

Luangnam broke the opponent in fourth, eighth and 10 game to wrap up the set 6-4. Second set turned out to be tough as Lu broke the opponent’s serve in first game and took a 3-1 lead before Luangnam made it 3-all by breaking Lu’s serve in the sixth game. Players held their serve for next six games as Luangnam took the honours in the tie-breaker.

Longest match of the day

Qualifier Dentoni had to battle for two hours and 14 minutes to overcome second seeded Savinykh. The Italian was one set down, before taking next two sets to emerge victorious. Although Savinykh took the first set, she was struggling with her service as she double faulted thrice in first and twice in second and four times in final set while her opponent had only one double fault in the match.

Results:

First round: Katie Boulter (GBR) bt wc-Snehal Mane (Ind) 6-2, 6-1; Nudnida Luangnam(Tha) bt 1- Jia-Jing Lu (CHN) 6-4, 7-6(10-8); Peangtarn Plipuech (Tha) bt Kim Dabin (Kor) 7-6 (10-8), 6-4; 5-Naiktha Bains (Gbr) bt Daria Mishina (Rus) 6-3, 7-5; q-Sato Naho (Jpn) bt Amina Anshba (Rus) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; q-Corinna Dentoni (Ita) bt 2-Valeriya Savinykh (RUS) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Martina Caregaro (Ita) bt wc-Niditra Rajmohan (Ind) 6-0, 6-2; q-Alicia Smith (Aus) bt Sandra Samir (Egy) 6-1, 6-2.

Doubles: 2-Ulrikke Eikeri (Nor) and Yashina Ekaterina (Rus) bt wc-Shrivalli Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty (Ind) and Pareen Shivekar (Ind) 6-1, 6-2; Victoria Muntean (Fra) and Salimar Talbi (Blr) bt wc-Valda Katic (Isr) and Saumya Vig (Ind) 6-3, 6-0; Kim Dabin (Kor) and Kim Na Ri (Kor) bt Amina Anshba (Rus) and 3-Diana Mercinkevika (Lat) 6-4, 4-6, 10-6.