The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Prerna Mythri moves up

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 01, 2006

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Prerna Mythri moves up

Kamesh Srinivasan

MUZAFFARNAGAR: Prerna Mythri gave glimpses of her potential as she served and stroked with energy in beating Jie Zeng of the US 6-2, 6-4 in the first round of the Bhavna Swarup memorial $10,000 ITF women's tennis tournament at the Services Club grass courts here on Tuesday.

On another warm day, the tenth standard student of Vasavi Public School in Hyderabad, the petite Prerna revealed the heart of a champion as she kept going for the big serves and sharp strokes despite struggling in the early part of the second set.

To her credit, Prerna, not that quick on her feet for lack of anticipation, attacked with conviction in turning the tide around in her favour after being down 2-4 in the second set, and raced away with the last four games, ripping her forehand with tremendous flourish.

Ankita through

Having reached the quarterfinals of a similar tournament as a qualifier in Pune last November, the 15-year-old Prerna knows what it takes to progress further, but runs into the top-seeded Ankita Bhambri who blanked qualifier Subi Sundaram of the US with contemptuous ease, conceding a mere 13 points in the match including three double-faults.

Two other Indian players won their first round with ease to set up tough pre-quarterfinals against foreign players.

Asha outplays Karishma

The tall and strongly-built Asha Nandakumar played close to her best in outplaying Karishma Patel, but will have the unenviable task of taking on Ksenia Palkina of Kyrgyzstan who has been in fine form over the past four weeks, including three in the international junior circuit.

The eighth-seeded Palkina proved too explosive for Sonal Phadke as the 16-year-old girl cruised through in 48 minutes against the seasoned Indian who was hampered by a string of eight double-faults apart from strokes that lacked punch. The left-handed Krushmi Chheda outwitted qualifier Natalia Semenenko of Russia for the loss of four games.

The results: Singles (first round): Ankita Bhambri bt Subi Sundaram (US) 6-0, 6-0; Prerna Mythri bt Jie Zeng (US) 6-2, 6-4; Martina Caciotti (Ita) bt Anupama Rajur 6-0, 6-3; Asha Nandakumar bt Karishma Patel 6-2, 6-1; Ksenia Palkina (Kgz) bt Sonal Phadke 6-1, 6-3; Czarina Mae Arevalo (Phi) bt Oormila Ram 6-3, 6-0; Krushmi Chheda bt Natalia Semenenko (Rus) 6-2, 6-2; Nicole Clerico (Ita) bt Lavinia Tananta Hartono (Ina) 6-4, 7-6(5).

Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Wei Ping Lee (Sin) and Lavinia Tananta Hartono (Ina) bt Paarul Goswami and Geeta Manohar 6-3, 6-1; Sandri Gangothri and Asha Nandakumar bt Anupama Rajur and Chirashanthi Rajur 7-6(4), 6-2; Vishika Chhetri and Yamini Thukkaiandi bt Penporn Chantawannop and Varanya Vijuksanaboon (Tha) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

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