Rushmi upsets Tara in straight sets

It was opening day blues for defending champion Nungnadda Wannasuk...

It was opening day blues for defending champion Nungnadda Wannasuk (Thailand) and India’s Tara Iyer, at the $25,000 NECC-ITF women’s tennis championships here today.

For Tara—seeded fourth—learnt from Rushmi Chakravarthi that experience counts.

In the 4-6, 2-6 defeat, Tara was tamed by Rushmi’s typical baseline game at the Deccan Gymkhana courts.

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If Tara’s loss was not enough, No 7 Nungnadda followed suit with Ukraine’s Katerina Poulina, ranked 225 places behind the Thai, showed her the door 6-1, 6-4.

The evening session—extended way beyond 7.00 p.m, —saw No 3 seed Neha Uberoi (USA) survive a scare from Tanvi Shah.

In a hard-fought battle, Tanvi managed to take a set off Neha, before bowing out 2-6, 6-3, 2-6.

On the other hand, the athletic No 5 Nina Bratchikova (Russia) was in a punishing mood against an an error-prone Ankita Bhambri and had no difficulty winning 6-2, 6-3.

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The Indians who reached the second round included Isha Lakhani, Sandhya Nagraj and Parul Goswami.

Earlier, the top-seed Su-Wei Hsieh (Taipei) pulled out after her country won the Asian Hopman Cup in Thailand.

Results: Singles: Rushmi Chakravarthi b 4-Tara Iyer 6-4, 6-2; Katerina Polunina (Ukr) b 7-Nungnadda Wannasuk (Tha) 6-1, 6-4; Isha Lakhani b Ashmita Easwarmurthi 6-0, 6-0; Sandhya Nagraj b Varatchaya Wongteanchai (Tha) 1-6, 6-1, 6-1; Parul Goswami b Jung-Yoon Shin (Kor) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Kyung-Yee Chae (Kor) b Sanaa Bhambri 6-0, 6-1; Zhang Ling (HKG) b Shweta Kumari Solanki (Ind) 6-0, 7-5; Julia Payasuk (Rus) b Adnya Naik (Ind) 6-3, 6-3; Silvia Disderi (Itl) b Shalini Sahoo 7-5, 6-1; 3-Neha Uberoi (USA) b Tanvi Shah 6-2, 3-6, 6-2; 5-Nina Bratchikova (Rus) b Ankita Bhambri 6-2, 6-3.