The Hindu : Ankita sets up title clash with Isha

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 30, 2003

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Ankita sets up title clash with Isha

By Kamesh Srinivasan

Photo: V.V. Krishnan

Sheetal Goutham (left) and Shruti Dhawan, who won the doubles title at the ITF women's Masters, in New Delhi on Thursday.

NEW DELHI MAY 29. Ankita Bhambri upset top-seed Liza Pereira 6-2, 6-0 to enter the $5000 ITF women's tennis circuit Masters final at the DLTA Complex here on Thursday. It will be her second appearance in a final in this circuit. She won the Masters last year in Pune.

The 16-year-old local girl will be up against second-seed Isha Lakhani who perspired to a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Shruti Dhawan.

When she puts her game together, Ankita can be more than a handful for anyone in the domestic circuit. She did that against Liza, who beat her in the second leg final at the same venue in three sets.

It was a delight to watch Ankita play with tremendous concentration, serving and stroking with intensity, even as her opponent struggled to cope with her indifferent form, on a warm day.

Except for delivering two of her three double-faults successively in the eighth game of the first set, when she had to eventually save a breakpoint, Ankita was never in any trouble. She was in such good touch that she served an ace to clinch the first set. It was another matter that the umpire failed to notice the fault!

Ankita served big and sharp into the corners and made it difficult for her opponent to keep pace. It was no wonder that the umpire failed to catch her on that particular point.

In contrast, Liza made far too many errors. She was unable to strike any rhythm either with her serves or groundstrokes. She faced breakpoints in six of her seven service games, and managed to save face by holding serve in the third game of the first set when she saved three breakpoints. The only other game in which Liza held serve was the seventh, when Ankita was just regaining her composure after straining a hip muscle.

Ankita walked through the second set, conceding seven points in all, closing out the set in 20 minutes. The match itself lasted 59 minutes. Liza hit more winners but Ankita won the points that mattered.

``I was pretty consistent. I knew how to play her and am glad that I was able to execute my plan. I played the wrong game in the final of the second leg against Liza, and ended up playing to her strength,'' said Ankita.

Liza ended up with $225 dollars and two ATP points for her efforts.

Ankita had beaten Isha in the quarterfinals of the second leg and hoped to repeat her performance again.

Isha was lucky to escape from Shruti who started brilliantly but ended up in a flurry of errors.

Shruti won the first five games in 12 minutes. She conceded five points in all, breaking Isha at love in the second and fourth. The 21-year-old Chandigarh lass peppered the court with winners to overwhelm Isha in that phase.

However, Shruti suddenly became cautious and started making mistakes. Isha slowly slipped into her fighting groove to not only hold serve in the sixth but also break Shruti in the seventh with a breathtaking backhand winner down the line passing shot.

Shruti called for the doctor to attend to blisters on her heel, at this stage. She held serve with an ace to wrap up the first set in 32 minutes, but hardly got a thing right thereafter.

Shruti struggled and managed to hold serve in only two games in the next two sets. She missed two gamepoints in the second game of the second set after she had broken Isha in the first.

Shruti's game was like the dusty synthetic surface. It could have been easily cleaned and kept shining, especially considering the television audience. But the will was missing, physically and figuratively speaking.

It is no wonder that Shruti has been struggling at this level for nearly five years after winning the Masters as a 16-year-old in 1998. It swings from the brilliant to pedestrian in a jiffy. Of course, she had lost valuable time with injuries, and has lacked the support that talented teenagers are enjoying these days, but Shruti has to blame herself for the stagnation in her tennis.

Isha's game was equally erratic, but she managed to hang on with her overwhelming fighting spirit. Only when she was down, was Shruti able to play her game, like when she saved six set-points to hold serve in the eighth game of the second set.

Even in the decider, Shruti had her chances as she held serve in the third game after exchange of breaks. Her game, however, fell in a heap once again, as Isha teased her with lobs. Isha did not have to worry about anything in the second part of the match, except the number of strings that she was breaking.

There were repeated reminders in the match, that this was the lowest level in international women's tennis, especially for those who have been watching the high quality fare from the French Open. That is as far as one can get to the bottom of truth.

Shruti-Sheethal win

There was some consolation for Shruti Dhawan later in the day as she partnered Sheethal Goutham in coasting to a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Isha Lakhani and Liza Pereira in the doubles final.

Top-seeded Sheethal and Shruti, who recovered from 3-5 in the first set, shared $350 and collected five WTA points each. The second seeds and runner-up team shared $200 and added four WTA points each to their individual collection.

The results:

Singles (semifinals): Ankita Bhambri bt Liza Pereira 6-2, 6-0; Isha Lakhani bt Shruti Dhawan 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Doubles (final): Shruti Dhawan/Sheethal Goutham bt Liza Pereira/Isha Lakhani 7-5, 6-2.

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