The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Ankita does a Houdini act

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 18, 2004

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Ankita does a Houdini act

By Kamesh Srinivasan

GURGAON, DEC. 17. Ankita Bhambri recovered from the brink of defeat to beat Sai Jayalakshmy 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 in the semifinals of the Le Meridien $10,000 ITF women's tennis tournament at the NTA Complex here on Friday.

A string of double faults put paid to the third-seeded Sai's hopes, as she lost track when she needed only two points to sew up the match. At 5-4, 30-15 in the second set, Sai delivered two double faults and then put a shot out to lose the initiative.

It was a commendable effort by the second-seeded Ankita as she served strongly at 3-5 earlier to stay in the contest. In fact, Ankita did not face a breakpoint thereafter, and allowed the consolation of just a solitary game for Sai.

The 27-year-old Sai had shown tremendous fighting qualities to convert the third breakpoint in the seventh game of the first set, and saved seven breakpoints in the eighth game to be on par after having been down 1-4.

It was an equally impressive effort by Sai to have served out the set in the tenth game despite serving three double faults in that game. She saved a breakpoint and converted her second setpoint to gain a stranglehold over the proceedings.

Sai was stroking well, and Ankita was struggling with her game, but Ankita clawed her way back to a memorable triumph, almost in similar fashion as she had done against Parul Goswami. It was the third victory in four meetings against Sai for Ankita.

Rushmi in final

Ankita will meet the top-seeded Rushmi Chakravarthi who got past the seventh-seeded Isha Lakhani 6-3, 3-0, as the latter retired owing to a painful right knee. In the brief encounter, Rushmi did drop her serve in the fifth game, but she responded well with strong groundstrokes that exasperated the diminutive left-hander.

Ankita has lost the last two finals against Rushmi in similar tournament earlier in the season, and would be keen to set the record straight on the morrow. Equally, Rushmi would also be keen to add another title to her name, especially after having lost in the first round last week.

In the doubles final, the top-seeded Sai and Rushmi asserted their experience with a come-back from behind triumph over the Bhambri siblings, Ankita and Sanaa.

The results:

Singles (semifinals): Rushmi Chakravarthi bt Isha Lakhani 6-3, 3-0 (retired); Ankita Bhambri bt Sai Jayalakshmy 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.

Doubles (final): Sai and Rushmi bt Ankita and Sanaa Bhambri 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.

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