The Hindu : Sheethal's resilience pays off

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 20, 2002

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Sheethal's resilience pays off

By Kamesh Srinivasan

NEW DELHI JUNE 19. Sheethal Goutham was tottering on the brink but she overcame bouts of her own indifferent play and a spirited challenge from the petite Sonal Phadke in booking a semifinal berth with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory in the ITF women's Masters tennis event at the DLTA Complex here on Wednesday.

Playing matches every day for close on to a month now, Sheethal did not have the energy for the first part of the contest, but her resolve saw her hang in there, by a slender thread.

The fact that she had been hit on her left eye by an awkwardly bouncing ball during the warm-up session, was a little demoralising and painful for Sheethal. But she took everything in her stride.

The athletic Sonal, on the other hand, was bubbling with confidence and energy as she smacked her shots with conviction. She showed a deft touch as well. Sonal meant business right from the beginning as she stormed to a 3-0 lead with two breaks, clinching the second with a forehand down the line.

The 20-year-old Mumbaikar did let things drift a bit, but broke back for 5-4 and served out the first set, converting the second setpoint with a neat volley.

However, Sheethal clawed her way back into the match, as she ran up a 4-2 lead with breaks in the second, fourth and sixth games, though she herself was broken twice.

Sonal won the next two games to be on par, and had a breakpoint to go up 5-4. She could not avail of her chances, and got broken in the 10th game to lose the initiative, and hope.

The decider was a washout, literally, as Sheethal took a 3-0 lead with a break in the second game, before heavy rain took over the proceedings, and held up play for two hours. On returning to the court, Sheethal was rejuvenated and won three of the next four games in 15 minutes to wind up the contest that spanned two hours and 10 minutes. Of course, Sheethal was pushed to her wit's end by Sonal, in what proved to be the last game, as she had to save six breakpoints.

It was one match in the whole circuit when Sheethal looked vulnerable, and below her best. She would be ready for Ankita Bhambri, who dismissed Medini Sharma for the loss of three games, after slugging it out in the first few games.

Everyone comes prepared with the game plan to handle Sheethal, but do not get to execute it. It remains to be seen how well, the free-stroking Ankita handles the challenge.

Second-seeded Shruti Dhawan saved two setpoints in the tie-break of the first set, to eventually cruise through against the hard hitting Geeta Manohar. Shruti tried to deny the pace for Geeta by resorting more to the top-spin and slice, but the ploy proved counter-productive. Geeta lacked the self-belief to clinch it at 6-5 and 7-6 in the tie-break, after she had given a good account of herself through the set, in which she broke Shruti thrice.

In the second set, Shruti played her shots freely, and it was no surprise that she cruised home, breaking Geeta in the third and fifth games.

Shruti will meet Radhika Tulpule, who reeled off nine games in a row, before allowing her doubles partner, Liza Pereira, two token games. The last time the two met, Shruti had made short work of Radhika, but the story may be more stormy on the morrow, as precious WTA points would be at stake.

The results:

Singles (quarterfinals): Sheethal Goutham bt Sonal Phadke 4-6, 6-4, 6-1; Ankita Bhambri bt Medini Sharma 6-2, 6-1; Radhika Tulpule bt Liza Pereira 6-0, 6-2; Shruti Dhawan bt Geeta Manohar 7-6 (9-7), 6-2.

Doubles (semifinals): Shruti Dhawan/Sheethal Goutham bt Archana Venkataraman/Arthi Venkataraman 6-0, 6-2; Radhika Tulpule/Liza Pereira bt Geeta Manohar/Ridhina Parekh 6-3, 6-1.

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