ITF Women’s 25k Event: Fancied Players Advance To Pre-quarters; Rutuja Advances In Doubles

World Tennis Tour: The fancied players, who won their first-round matches, advanced to pre-quarterfinals of the ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour event without much ado at the Bowring Institute tennis courts here on Tuesday.

In a first-round clash, fourth-seeded Vaidehi Chaudhari of India defeated wildcard entrant and countrymate Anjali Rathi in straight sets 6-3, 6-3.

Sixth seed Jenny Duerst of Switzerland crashed the hopes of qualifier Yashaswini Panwar of India with a 6-3, 6-2 win. Italy’s seventh-seeded Diletta Cherubini outclassed Anastasia Sukhotin in straight sets 6-1, 6-2.

In a notable result, recently crowned National champion Shrivalli Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty overcame a late fightback by Humera Baharmus before emerging a 6-1, 7-5 victor.

Using her strong forehand to the maximum, the 21-year-old Rashmikaa achieved an early break in the second game, to take a 3-0 lead before breaking her opponent’s serve once again in the sixth game before wrapping up the first set 6-1.

However, her 22-year-old opponent waged a fightback in the second set. After breaking her opponent’s serve in the second game, Humera fought hard to hold her serve to make it 3-0. The momentum changed in the seventh game where Rashmikaa achieved a crucial break after several deuce and advantages and won the eighth to level at 4. With one more break in the 11th game, Rashmikaa served out for the match.

Later, Rashmikaa teamed up with Vaidehi Chaudhari to beat the pair of Suhitha Maruri and Prathiba Narayan Prasad 6-0, 6-3 to enter the quarterfinals in the doubles.

Earlier, the KSLTA presented Asian Games gold medallist Rutuja Bhosale with a cheque of Rs 1 lakh for her brilliant achievement at the quadrennial Games.

Rutuja, who has been seed third for the singles main draw, will begin her campaign on Wednesday but gave a sample of her form when she paired with Kazakhstan’s Zhibek Kulambayeva and almost blanked the pair of Akanksha Dileep Nitture and Nidhitra Rajmohan 6-1, 6-0 to enter the doubles last four.

Results (Indians unless stated):

Women’s singles (Round of 32)

Shrivalli Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty bt Humera Baharmus 6-1, 7-5; 4-Vaidehi Chaudhari bt WC-Anjali Rathi 6-3, 6-3; 6-Jenny Duerst (SUI) bt Q-Yashaswini Panwar 6-3, 6-2; 7-Diletta Cherubini (ITA) bt Anastasia Sukhotin 6-1, 6-2; WC-Suhitha Maruri bt Q-Paavanii Paathak 6-3, 6-3; Vaishnavi Adkar bt WC-Sahira Singh 6-0, 6-1.

Women’s Doubles (Round of 16):

1-Rutuja Bhosale/Zhibek Kulambayeva (KAZ) bt Akanksha Dileep Nitture /Nidhitra Rajmohan 6-1, 6-0; Pooja Ingale/Sandeepti Singh Rao bt Sharmada Balu/Demi Tran (NED) 7-5, 6-0; 2-Jenny Duerst (SUI)/Ekaterina Yashina bt Zeel Desai/Anastasia Sukhotina 6-4, 7-5; 4-Punnin Kovapitukted (THA)/Anna Ureke bt Humera Baharmus/Smriti Bhasin 6-2, 6-2; Diletta Cherubini (ITA)/Antonia Schmidt (GER) bt Vaishnavi Adkar/Sravya Shivani Chilakalapudi 6-2, 6-2; Kashish Bhatia/Vanshita Pathania bt Laalitya Kalluri/Priyanka Rodricks 6-3, 6-2; 3-Shrivalli Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty/Vaidehi Chaudhari bt Suhitha Maruri/Prathiba Narayan Prasad 6-0, 6-3; Sai Samhitha Chamarthi/Soha Sadiq bt Saumya Vig/Pranjala Yadlapalli 6-3, 6-2.