The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Sanaa makes it to last four

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Friday, Mar 30, 2007
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Sport - Tennis

Sanaa makes it to last four

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Sanaa Bhambri was the lone Indian to make the semifinals of the $10,000 ITF women's circuit tournament here on Thursday. In the process, she toppled Feys Debbrich 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

Excluded from India's Fed Cup squad announced on Wednesday, Sanaa took the sting out of Feys' campaign by effectively returning the Belgian's big serves.

The third seed's game dipped in consistency, enabling Sanaa, trailing 2-4 in the first set, to win three games on the trot. An ace from Feys helped her draw level at 5-5 and deprived Sanaa of the set temporarily.

The Delhi girl, however, held her own and then broke her rival to go up 7-5. Down 0-2 and broken after attaining parity at four, Bhambri lost the second 4-6. In the decider, Sanaa called the tune all the way, always separating herself by two games at least.

Isha falls

Meanwhile, Isha Lakhani lost to Liu Wan-Ting 4-6, 4-6. Many of her powerful drives went long and the angled returns lack accuracy.

In the day's biggest upset, Amber Liu of the USA ousted top gun Yi Chen 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.

The results: Singles: Quarterfinals: Liu Wan-Ting (Chn) bt Isha Lakhani 6-4, 6-4; Stefanie Voegeles (Sui) bt Mariana Muci-Torres (Ven) 6-0, 6-0; Chen Yi (Tpe) lost to Amber Liu (USA) 6-2, 4-6, 2-6; Sanaa Bhambri bt Debbrich Feys (Bel) 5-7, 6-4, 3-6.

Doubles: Semifinals: Yi Chen (Tpe)/ Liu Wan Ting (Chn) bt Sanaa Bhambri/ Isha Lakhani 6-0, 6-2; Cho Jeong-A/ Ji Young Kim (Kor) bt Debbrich Feys (Belg)/ Stefanie Voegele (Swi) 7-6(3), 6-4.

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