The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Rushmi makes semifinals

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Friday, Jun 13, 2008
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Rushmi makes semifinals

Special Correspondent

GURGAON: Rushmi Chakravarthi revealed tremendous reserves of energy to outwit Sung-Hee Han of Korea 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the ITF women’s tennis tournament at the NTA Complex here on Thursday.

Trailing 0-2 in the decider, a tired Rushmi had the enthusiasm to fight it out as she outplayed the Korean by reeling off five games in a row.

After a rousing start, when she led 4-0, Rushmi could not drive home the advantage in the second set as the Korean found her rhythm.

The wiry Korean looked to be winning on her supreme physical fitness in the decider when she broke Rushmi in a long drawn first game by converting the fifth break point.

However, the 30-year-old Rushmi not only conceded a mere eight points in winning five games on the trot, but wound up the show in style by firing two successive aces.

Rushmi will meet Vietnamese qualifier Thuy-Dung Nguyen in the semifinals, while the other contest will feature top seed Isha Lakhani and her nemesis Ankita Bhambri.

While Ankita outplayed her younger sister Sanaa for the loss of five games to notch up her seventh victory in eight international meetings against her, Isha warded off a late surge from Prerana Mythri to be home in straight sets.Prerana broke Isha for the only time in the match, in the sixth game of the second set, but after having held for 4-3, the Hyderabad girl failed to capitalise on the opening even as the left-hander across the net unleashed forceful strokes to pull through swiftly.

The results: Singles: Quarterfinals: Isha Lakhani bt Prerana Mythri 6-2, 6-4; Ankita Bhambri bt Sanaa Bhambri 6-3, 6-2; Rushmi Chakravarthi bt Sung-Hee Han (Kor) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3; Thuy-Dung Nguyen (Vie) bt He Chun Yan (Chn) 6-4, 6-1.

Doubles: Semifinals: Ankita Bhambri & Sanaa Bhambri bt Rushmi Chakravarthi & Geeta Manohar 6-3, 7-6(3); Elina Gasanova (Rus) & Isha Lakhani bt Angelina Gabueva (Rus) & Julia Moriarty (Aus) 6-4, 7-6(4).

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