In the opening round of the ITF women’s tennis competition on Wednesday, qualifier Yubarani Banerjee defeated fifth seed Sathwika Sama 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 on her birthday.
Yubarani served and stroked with intensity to get the best of a fighting Sathwika in a battle of wits that lasted two hours and ten minutes after early morning rain had delayed the action till afternoon.
“I had lost on my birthday long ago. I know how it feels’’, said Yubarani, as she congratulated Sathwika on a great game on her birthday.
Yubarani will now face fellow qualifier Sandeepti Singh Rao in the pre-quarterfinals, who overcame Smriti Bhasin after settling into a strong rhythm.
The results:
| Singles (first round): Zeel Desai bt Anjali Rathi 6-2, 6-4; PunninKovapitukted (Tha) bt Shria Atturu 6-3, 6-0; Sandeepti Singh Rao bt Smriti Bhasin 6-4, 6-2; Yubarani Banerjee bt Sathwika Sama 6-2, 2-6, 6-2; Akanksha Nitture bt Sudipta Kumar 6-2, 6-3; Soha Sadiq bt Ishwari Matere 6-3, 6-3; Sahaja Yamalapalli bt Avishka Gupta 7-5, 6-4; Anna Ureke (Rus) bt Pratyusha Rachapudi 6-1, 6-1. Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Sudipta Kumar & Riya Uboveja bt Nidhi Chilumula & Saumya Vig 6-4, 6-3; Vaidehi Chaudhari & Mihika Yadav bt Arthi Muniyan & Niditra Rajmohan 7-5, 6-2. |
