Ashwarya, Sharmada make first-round exits

Mumbai: Israel`s sixth seed Deniz Khazaniuk enjoyed a comfortable passage to the second round of the USD 10,000 CCI ITF women`s tennis circuit on Monday as she tamed Indian wild card Ashwarya Shrivastava in straight sets.

The Israeli player, ranked 471th in the world, outclassed her Indian rival 6-1 6-3 in a first round singles match at the Cricket Club of India courts. Sharmada Balu was another Indian to make a first round exit going down to China’s Zi Yang in straight sets. The Indian girl was unable to get going in the opening set, which she lost without winning a game. However, she managed to put up an improved performance in the next, but it was not good enough to stop the Chinese girl from romping to a 6-0 7-6(2) victory. India’s Kyra Shroff, along with partner Anja Prislan of Slovenia, rallied to upset third seeds Trang Huynh Phuong Dai of Vietnam and Nungnadda Wannasuk of Thailand, posting a 1-6, 7-6(2), 10-8 victory in a first round doubles encounter. Results : Singles (1st round): Zi Yang (Chn) beat Sharmada Balu (Ind) 6-0, 7-6(2); Rishika Sunkara (Ind) beat Adnya Naik (Ind) 6-1, 6-2; Maria Sakkari (Gre) beat Misa Kinoshita (Jpn) 6-4, 6-1; 6-Deniz Khazaniuk (Isr) beat Ashwarya Shrivastava (Ind) 6-1, 6-3.Doubles (1st round): Anja Prislan (Slo) /Kyra Shroff (Ind) beat 3-Trang Huynh Phuong Dai (Vie) /Nungnadda Wannasuk (Tha) 1-6, 7-6(2), 10-8; Dalila Jakupovic (Slo) /Sarah-Rebecca Sekulic (Ger) beat Arantxa Andrady (Ind) /Kerstin Peckl (Aut) 6-0, 6-0; 4-Rushmi Chakravarthi (Ind) /Keren Shlomo (Isr) beat Gopika Kapoor (Ind) /Jeannine Prentner (Aut) 6-2, 4-0 retired; 2-Peangtarn Plipuech (Tha) /Varunya Wongteanchai (Tha) beat Ella Leivo (Fin) /Ya Zhou (Chn) 6-1, 6-3; Seda Arantekin (Tur) /Melis Sezer (Tur) beat Verena Schmid (Ger) /Marlies Szupper (Aut) 6-3, 6-1; 1-Martina Caciotti (Ita) /Nicole Clerico (Ita) beat Sri Vaishnavi Peddi Reddy (Ind) /Ashvarya Shrivastava (Ind) 6-2, 6-3; Ankita Raina (Ind) /Rishika Sunkara (Ind) beat Barbara Luz (Por) /Laura Schaeder (Ger) 2-6, 7-5, 10-2. PTI