Asian Junior champion, Mihika Yadav, justified the wildcard awarded to her as she toppled seventh seed Yana Sizikova of Russia, 6-3, 7-5, to enter the second round of the $25,000 Pune Open ITF women’s championship, organised by NS Sports Academy at Balewadi on Tuesday.
For 18-year-old Mihika, Pune is a happy hunting ground, as she had won the Asian Junior championship earlier this year and also reached the finals of the $15,000 ITF event last year. On Tuesday, she took 1 hour 41 minutes to upset the 23-year-old Sizikova.
Second seeded Karman Kaur Thandi was tested by qualifier Riya Bhatia surviving 6-4,4-6,7-6(5) in a 3-hour-9-minute tussle.
Bhatia fought valiantly, saving six match points and coming back from 2-5 down to level scores and force a tiebreak, which she failed to win. Thandi looked relieved raising her hands at the end of the match.
In a match between two local players , Rutuja Bhosale got the better of local wildcard and junior Snehal Mane 6-4,6-2.
Another local girl and qualifier had six set points in the second set but could not capitalise and went down against sixth-seeded Ana Veselinovic of Montenegro. The score read 6-1, 7-5 in Ana’s favour. Oman's Fatima Al Nabhani edged out Indian number three Pranjala Yadlapalli 6-4, 6-7(4) ,6-4 in another encounter.
{{/usCountry}}Another local girl and qualifier had six set points in the second set but could not capitalise and went down against sixth-seeded Ana Veselinovic of Montenegro. The score read 6-1, 7-5 in Ana’s favour. Oman's Fatima Al Nabhani edged out Indian number three Pranjala Yadlapalli 6-4, 6-7(4) ,6-4 in another encounter.
{{/usCountry}}Fourth seeded Valeriya Stakhova rallied past another Indian player Nidhi Chilumula, 6-1,6-3, to end her challenge and make it to round two.
Results: (Singles) Deniz Khazaniuk [1] (ISR) bt Olesya Pervushina (RUS) 6-4, 6-2; Jaqueline Adina Cristian [2] (ROU) br Berfu Cengiz (TUR) 7-5, 6-2; Karman Kaur Thandi [3] (IND) bt Riya Bhatia (IND) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (5); Valeriya Strakhova [4] (UKR) bt Nidhi Chilumula (IND) 6-1, 6-3; Ana Veselinovic (MNE) [6] bt Salsa Aher (IND) 6-1, 7-5; (WC) Mihika Yadav(IND) bt Yana Sizikova [7] (RUS) 6-3, 7-5; Tereza Mihalikova [8] (SVK) bt Prerna Bhambri (IND) 6-1, 6-2; Rutuja Bhosale (IND) bt (WC)Snehal Mane(IND) 6-4, 6-2; Karin Kennel (SUI) bt Ksenia Palkina (KGZ) 6-3, 6-3; Fatma Al Nabhani (OMA) -Pranjala Yadlapalli (IND) 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-4.
Doubles quarterfinals: Pei-Chi Lee(TPE) /Yana Sizikova [3] (RUS) bt (WC)Sai Samhitha Chamarthi (IND) /(WC) Amrita Mukherjee (IND) 6-2, 6-0; Stefanie Tan (SGP) /Dhruthi Venugopal (IND) bt (WC) Snehal Mane (IND) /(WC) Natasha Palha (IND) 6-2, 6-3.