Sport - Tennis

Shruti rallies past Ankita

By Kamesh Srinivasan

MUZAFFAR NAGAR JUNE 6. She slipped a bit in the beginning, but Shruti Dhawan put her forceful game in place to score a 4-6, 6-1, 6-0 victory over Ankita Bhambri in the quarterfinals of the $5000 Sukam ITF women's tennis tournament at the Services Club here on Thursday.

On a day when the club staff did a wonderful job of getting the grass courts ready for play after heavy overnight rain, the fourth-seeded Shruti scorched the courts with her blistering winners.

It was a revenge triumph for Shruti after her three-set loss last week back home in Chandigarh in the first leg of the circuit.

Shruti started on a sound note, serving and stroking with confidence to run up a 4-1 lead. But she let her game slip at this stage, even as the 15-year-old Ankita found the range of her strokes to make a recovery.

The 20-year-old Shruti had a chance to regain the initiative at 4-4, when she served at 40-0, but played a sloppy game to lose her way. A few crucial points, when she hit the sitters out, put Shruti in trouble.

But, the Chandigarh girl, who has worked hard at her game this week, especially in trying to master the grasscourt play, came back with a vengeance in the second and third sets, when she hardly put a foot wrong.

Shruti raced to a 3-0 lead in the second set and could have converted it to 4-0, but for hitting a sitter long at the net on the breakpoint. Yet, Shruti played well enough, putting the slice to judicious use, in taking the rest of the games in the match, reeling off nine games in a row, even as Ankita grappled with her game.

Ankita struggled to play on grass, and thus it was no surprise that she failed to make a match of it. She tended to overhit despite making an honest attempt to get back into the match.

Shruti will meet the top-seeded Sonal Phadke, who was patience personified in slugging it out 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) against Archana Venkataraman.

Sonal, who will be celebrating her 20th birthday on June 9, had to concentrate hard to wear away the resistance of Archana, in a long-drawn baseline battle.

There were many breaks in the match, but Sonal had that athletic edge as she went after every ball and stroked with conviction. Archana threatened to take the match into the decider when she broke for 6-5 in the second set, but Sonal broke back to force the tie-breaker.

Sonal unleashed a couple of winners from 3-2 in the tie-break to race to the semifinals, even as Archana struggled to keep pace, making uncharacteristic mistakes.

The second-seeded Radhika Tulpule had to be at her stroking best, and moved nicely into her shots with keen anticipation, to get past her doubles partner Liza Pereira. Radhika served well, and played the big points like a champion to win in straight sets.

Radhika was stung by a wasp on her back at the end of the first set, and needed medical attention. She was troubled by the pain but bravely marched on, taking ice treatment during the changeovers. She will take on Sheethal Goutham in the semifinals.

Sheethal celebrated her 21st birthday by blanking Medini Sharma. The Bangalore girl had meted out a similar treatment to Medini, winning 12 games in a row in the semifinals of the Masters of the last circuit, after conceding the first game of that match.

In doubles, fourth-seeded Venkataraman sisters, Archana and Arthi ousted top-seeded Radhika Tulpule and Liza Pereira for the loss of three games. Radhika and Liza had won the title last week in Chandigarh.

The results: Singles (quarterfinals): Sonal Phadke bt Archana Venkataraman 7-5, 7-6 (7-4); Shruti Dhawan bt Ankita Bhambri 4-6, 6-1, 6-0; Sheethal Goutham bt Medini Sharma 6-0, 6-0; Radhika Tulpule bt Liza Pereira 6-4, 6-4.

Doubles (semifinals): Archana Venkataraman/Arthi Venkataraman bt Liza Pereira/Radhika Tulpule 6-2, 6-1; Shruti Dhawan/Sheethal Goutham bt Ankita Bhambri/Sonal Phadke 6-4, 6-3.

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