The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Isha storms into semifinals

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Friday, May 18, 2007
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Sport - Tennis

Isha storms into semifinals

A. Vinod

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The unseeded Isha Lakhani (India) proved her credentials once again as she stormed into the semifinals of the singles event of the $25,000 Kerala Open international women's tennis tournament at the TTC courts here on Thursday.

The Maharashtra player, who was once bracketed alongside Sania Mirza before an injury laid her low, emerged as the lone Indian survivor in the six-day event as she put an end to the dream run of compatriot Parija Maloo 6-4, 6-2 in the round of last eight.

There could have been a second Indian left behind in the fray had Tara Iyer lived up to the expectations before she came a cropper against the second-seeded Lauren Albanese (United States) at the end of a tough cliffhanger that got extended to a little more than three hours.

Having won the first set which went into the tie-breaker, the Indian Fed Cup player had chances to upset her rival from Florida before fading away 7-6(7), 1-6, 2-6.

Memorable match

Yet, it was a memorable match by more ways than one and full credit goes to the American teenager who remained focussed even when the chips were down. And what cost Tara a possible berth in the last four, besides the aggression displayed by her rival, was her inability to cut down on the string of unforced errors that dotted her baseline game.

Lakhani too did seem to face a lot of problems in the initial stages of her match against wild card Maloo. She was a break down quite early enough as her young Pune-based opponent, despite being involved in two energy-sapping three-setters over the last three days, seemed to be oozing with confidence.

However, with Lakhani bringing all her experience to the fore, Maloo faltered with her serve in the seventh game and this helped the former to cut into the lead held by her junior.

Another break, this time in the ninth game, helped Lakhani into the lead for the first time before she served out the first set at 6-4. Maloo was again broken in the opening game of the second set as Lakhani consistently attacked on her backhand and worked up some commendable winners with forays into the net.

Defying calculations

Maloo, all the same, continued to defy the calculations of her senior rival as she broke Lakhani in the fourth game. But the latter was in no mood to be stopped as she stepped up her game and ran out an easy winner with a break of serve each in the fifth and seventh games.

Lakhani, in the semifinal, will meet top seed Agnes Szatmari (Romania) who made short work of the sixth-seeded Suchanun Viratprasert (Thailand) quite easily 6-3, 6-2.

The day also saw the seventh-seeded Mairinne Giraud (Mauritius) score an upset 7-5, 6-2 win over third-seeded Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) to set up a semifinal against Lauren Albanese.

In doubles, the Indian challenge ended when the third-ranked pair of Rushmi Chakravarthi and Sanaa Bhambri was beaten by Szatmari and her Italian parter Nicole Clerico 6-3, 7-5 in the semifinals.

The second last-four match was won by Lauren Albanese and Yanina Wickmayer, the duo winning against Marinne Giraud and Mariana Much-Torres 6-3, 7-6(2).

The results: Women's singles: Quarterfinals: Agnes Szatmari (Rom) bt Suchanun Viratprasert (Tha) 6-3, 6-2; Isha Lakhani (Ind) bt Parija Maloo (Ind) 6-4, 6-2; Marinne Giraud (Mri) bt Yanina Wickmayer (Bel) 7-5, 6-2; Lauren Albanese (U.S.A) bt Tara Iyer (Ind) 6-7(7), 6-1, 6-2.

Women's doubles (semifinals): Nicole Clerico (Ita)/ Agnes Szatmari (Rom) bt Sanaa Bhambri/ Rushmi Chakravarthi (Ind) 6-3, 7-5; Lauren Albanese (U.S.A)/ Yanina Wickmayer (Bel) bt Marinne Giraud (Mri) / Mariana Muci-Torres (Ven) 6-3, 7-6(2).

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