The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Ankita takes out Sai Jayalakshmi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 05, 2006

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Ankita takes out Sai Jayalakshmi

Nandita Sridhar

CHENNAI: Errors cancelled out a majority of Sai Jayalakshmi's winners in the first and third set, as she watched shot after shot fly out or meet the net, and ended up losing 5-7, 6-1, 3-6 to top-seed Ankita Bhambri in the first round of the Madras Gymkhana Club $10,000 ITF women's tennis championship at the club courts on Tuesday.

What really swung the balance in Ankita's favour was her grip on the crucial points despite not being anywhere near her best, and the fact that more errors flew off Sai's strings than hers.

On yet another energy-sapping day, both players made their displeasure more than apparent with the screams getting louder and the racket abuse more frequent. Playing with a strapped elbow, Sai showcased her all-round variety, especially in the second set, when Ankita was bothered by elbow problems of her own. To the top-seed's credit, she kept her cool and easily claimed the final set, with her ground-strokes a little more on the mark.

Power play

Earlier, second seed Rushmi Chakravarthi indulged in some power-play, blowing away Philippines's Czarina-Mae Arevalo 6-2, 6-3, in her first round match. Rushmi's placement was spot-on and left her opponent stranded on most occasions. She finished it off by powerfully smacking a short one.

Eighth seed Punam Reddy was forced to pull out, trailing Sweta Solanki 3-6, 3-4, because of an elbow injury.

The results: Singles: First round (Indians unless specified): 2-Rushmi Chakravarthi bt Czarina-Mae-Arevalo (Phi) 6-2, 6-3; Natasha Khan (GBR) bt Parija Maloo 6-3, 6-3; Cagla Buyukakcay (Tur) bt 3-Claire Peterzan (GBR) 6-3, 6-1; Jeong-A. Cho (Kor) bt 7-Thassha Vitayaviroj (Tha) 6-2, 6-3; Shao-Yuan Kao (Chn) bt Ji-Young Kim (Kor) 7-5, 6-3; 1-Ankita Bhambri bt Sai Jayalakshmi 7-5, 1-6, 6-3; Sweta Solanki bt 8-Punam Reddy 6-3, 4-3 (conceded); Kazusa Ito (Jpn) bt Kavitha Krishnamurthy (Can) 6-4, 6-0. Doubles: First round: 4-Natasha Khan (GBR) & Claire Peterzan (GBR) bt Kavitha Krishnamurthy (Can) & Varanya Vijuksanaboon (Tha) 3-6, 6-2, 6-2; Miki Miyamura (Jpn) & Tomoyo Takagishi (Jpn) bt Sandy Gumulya (Ina) & Pichittra Thongdach (Tha) 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4; Wei-Ping Lee (Sin) & Lavinia Tananta (Ina) bt Czarina-Mae-Arevalo (Phi) & Madhura Ranganathan 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-5; 1-Nudnida Luangnam (Tha) & Thassha Vitayaviroj (Tha) bt Penporn Chantawannop (Tha) & Nungnadda Wannasuk (Tha) 6-3, 6-0.

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