Pune: Sanaa Bhambri quelled some stiff
challenges before overcoming Anastasia Malhotra of Japan 6-3
6-4 and entered second round of USD 50,000 NECC-ITF Women's
Tennis Championships here on Monday.
Sanaa started on an attacking note in the match and
bagged the first set 6-3.
The Japanese tried to claw her way back into the match in
the second set but the Indian held her nerve and capitalised
on excellent placings of the ball to snatch a 6-4 win to round
off the tally.
Meanwhile, two Indians Rishika Sunkara and Shivika Burman
alongwith Israeli player Chen Astrogo and Serbian Tamara
Curovic qualified for the main draw of the tournament.
In other first round matches, second seeded Masa
Zec-Peskiric and sixth seeded Rika Fujiwara of Japan also
scored lop-sided wins to move into the second round.
Zec-Peskiric outserved Hae-Sung Kim of Korea 6-3,6-4,
while Fujiwara blanked junior compatriot Miki Miyamura 6-2,
6-1.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, November 16, 2009, 23:35