ITF Women's tournament: Soha defeats second seed Ureke in the first round

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.

Soha Sadiq celebrates after hitting a winner against Anna Ureke of Russia in the ITF women's tennis tournament in Gurugram on Wednesday.

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:  

Singles (first round): Zeel Desai bt Vanshika Choudhary 4-6, 6-3, 6-1; Smriti Bhasin bt Saumya Vig 6-1, 1-6, 6-1; Vaidehi Chaudhari bt Elena Jamshidi (Den) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2; Pooja Ingale bt Shria Atturu (US) 6-4, 7-6(5); Sravya Shivani bt Nandini Dixit 6-3, 7-5; Humera Baharmus bt Bela Tamhankar 7-5, 6-0; Sai Samhitha bt Suhitha Maruri 6-3, 6-0; Punnin Kovapitukted (Tha bt Jagmeet Kaur 6-1, 6-3; Sharmada Balu bt Sahaja Yamalapalli 6-3, 2-6, 6-3; Soha Sadiq bt Anna Ureke (Rus) 6-5 (retired). Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Farhat Aleen Qamar & Yubarani Banerjee bt Avishka Gupta & Sahaja Yamalapalli 6-2, 6-4; Shreya Tatavarthy & Saumya Vig bt Arthi Muniyan & Prathiba Narayan 6-2, 6-0; Sai Samhitha & Soha Sadiq bt Akanksha Nitture & Sathwika Sama 6-4, 6-2; Humera Baharmus & Shrivalli Bhamidipaty bt Smriti Bhasin & Jagmeet Kaur 6-2, 6-1; Sharmada Balu & Sravya Shivani bt Vanshika Choudhary & Kavya Khirwar 6-1, 7-5.