The Hindu : Radhika beats Shruti in error-ridden contest

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 21, 2002

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Radhika beats Shruti in error-ridden contest

By Kamesh Srinivasan

NEW DELHI JUNE 20. It was as bad as it could get. The two allowed their game to dip so much, that many an ardent Indian tennis fan would have switched off the television, in sheer disgust.

For the handful gathered at the DLTA Complex, it was tough to digest the mediocre fare Radhika Tulpule and Shruti Dhawan dished out in the semifinals of the ITF women's Masters tournament on Thursday.

Eventually, when fourth-seeded Radhika held her nerves and played a smart drop to close the contest in two hours and 45 minutes, it was more a relief for the spectators than the Pune lass.

It was indeed a poor advertisement for women's tennis in the country as the two laboured painstakingly in matching each other's mistakes. To them what mattered was a win, and Radhika won the contest 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, less because of her self-belief and more because of the self-doubts that plagued Shruti's mind.

The Chandigarh girl was calling the shots initially, breaking a totally off-colour Radhika four times in the first set, and continuing the good run further for a 2-0 lead in the second.

However, Shruti was anxious to finish the contest quickly and started erring, even as Radhika tried to mask her indifferent form with shrewd play. In the event, Shruti did well to be on par at 4-4, but Radhika's fighting qualities came to the fore when she converted the eighth breakpoint for a decisive 5-4 lead in the second set.

Radhika went on to hold serve and clinched the set by following an ace with a drop shot.

Shruti's confidence was shattered by now and she struggled to stay on her feet, and in the match. She saved six breakpoints to hold serve for 1-2, and stayed in the contest with exchange of breaks till 5-4.

Thereafter, Shruti's resistance was over and she just caved in, getting broken at love in the 11th game, when she served under-arm while facing three breakpoints.There was no energy left to fight, and Shruti tried her best in what proved to be the last game, till she netted a sitter to give a matchpoint for Radhika.

The latter was not the one to look a gift horse in the mouth, and sliced a backhand drop nicely, to make Shruti scamper to the net, more for the handshake than for the retrieve.

The fact that she could not serve properly proved a big let down for Radhika, but she hung on to have a go at the title.

Ankita flatters to deceive

Top-seeded Sheethal Goutham was unruffled despite the smacking winners from the third seed Ankita Bhambri, and made her fourth Masters singles final with a 7-5, 6-4 victory.

Once again, it was the eventual loser who shone brilliantly at the beginning. Ankita played freely to get even, after being broken in the fourth game, and had two setpoints on serve at 5-3.

The 15-year-old, who had lost twice before in the circuit to Sheethal, could not finish off the points, because she went for desperate shots in her anxiety to get ahead.

The cool customer that she is, Sheethal played a neat game, making her opponent err herself out of the contest, under the scorching sun.

After being 0-2, Ankita took the lead at 4-3 with a break, after having held serve in the sixth game by saving a breakpoint. Sheethal converted the third breakpoint in the eighth game to level things, and played confidently to hold serve for 5-4.

At 30-30 on her serve in the 10th game, Ankita netted a volley, and Sheethal converted the matchpoint with a backhand volley.

Her unflinching faith in her game, consolidated through the circuit with her intimidating record of 18 singles victories in a row, makes Sheethal invincible, and good for one more.

But tomorrow is another day. For sure, Radhika, a player of considerable ability and credentials, cannot play any worse than she did today.

Sheethal-Shruti pair triumphs

Sheethal Goutham and Shruti Dhawan clinched the doubles title, comfortably, and with it five WTA points and Rs. 16,555. It was the third title in four finals in the circuit for the top seeds. Radhika Tulpule and Liza Pereira collected four WTA points and Rs. 9,460.

The results:

Singles (semifinals): Sheethal Goutham bt Ankita Bhambri 7-5, 6-4; Radhika Tulpule bt Shruti Dhawan 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Doubles (final): Sheethal Goutham/Shruti Dhawan bt Liza Pereira/Radhika Tulpule 6-1, 6-2.

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