Stroking with intensity and competing with conviction, Soha Sadiq defeated the champion of the last event, second seed Anna Ureke of Russia, in the first round of the $15,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament at the Tennis Project, Baliawas, on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old Soha led 6-5 in the first set, when the Russian retired with an arm injury. In the pre-quarterfinals, Soha will play the junior entrant in the event, Shruti Ahlawat.
Top seed Zeel Desai was in trouble against qualifier Vanshika Choudhary but fought back from the middle of the second set to turn the tide in her favour. Zeel will next play Akanskha NItture.
Fourth seed Vaidehi Chaudhary was all at sea against Elena Jamshidi of Denmark in the first set but regained her composure to win the next two sets for the loss of three games in all.
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Eighth seed Sravya Shivani was tested by Nandini Dixit who trains at the same venue but showed fine court craft and sharp strokes to pull through in straight sets.
Sharmada Balu asserted that she richly deserved the wild card as she beat Sahaja Yamalapalli in three sets. Sharmada moved Sahaja around the court and executed winners with punch and precision.
Sharmada also joined Sravya to win the doubles pre-quarterfinals against Vanshika Choudhary and Kavya Khirwar. Sharmada and Sravya had lost the first round of doubles on clay last week.
The results:
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