By IANS,
Pune : Qualifier Shalini Sahoo continued her fine run, knocking out Uzbekistan wildcard Alexendra Kolesnichenko in straight sets to enter the quarterfinals of the $25,000 NECC-ITF women’s tennis Championships here Wednesday.
The Delhi girl outplayed the 662 ranked Alexandra 6-3,6-2 in an hour and 15 minutes to reach her first ever singles quarterfinal.
Shalini broke Alexandra in the 8th game to wrap the first set. In the second set Shalini hit an array of winners and broke Alexandra in the 3rd and 5th game and establish her control over the match.
“I’m thrilled the way I’m playing and frankly did not expect to go so far,” Sahoo said.
Top seed and 116th ranked Melanie South played attacking tennis to put out Ankita Bhambri 6-2, 7-5, while 245th ranked Jing Jing Lu ended the challenge of Isha Lakhani 6-3, 7-5 to make it to the last eight.
Second ranked Ye-Ra Lee of Korea also moved into the quarterfinals with a 7-5,6-4 win over Thailand’s Suchanan Viratprasert.
Fourth seeded Ksenia Palkina was the only seeded player to go through a harrowing time before overcoming Leonie Mekel of the Netherlands 6-1, 3-6, 6-1.
Serbian qualifier Bojana Jovanosvski, sixth seeded Kai-Chen Chang of Taipei along with her country mate I-Hsuan Hwang also made it to the last eight.
The Indian challenge also ended in the doubles as the teams of Rushmi Chakravarthy /Ankita Bhambri and Parija Maloo and Poojashree Venkatesha were ousted in the quarterfinals.
Results. (second Round)
Melanie South (Gbr) bt Ankita Bhambri (Ind) 6-2, 7-5
Shalini Sahoo(Ind) bt Alexandra Kolesnichenko (Uzb) 6-3,6-2
Ksenia Palkina (Kgz) bt Leonie Mekel(Ned) 6-1, 3-6, 6-1
Kai-Chen Chang (Tpe) bt Korina Perkovic(Ger) 6-2,6-3
I-Hsuan Hwang(Tpe) bt Natasha Khan (Gbr) 6-2,6-3
Bojana Jovanosvski (Srb) bt Patrycja Sanduska(Pol) 6-4,6-1
Jing Jing lu (Chn) bt Isha Lakhani (Ind) 6-3,7-5
Ye Ra Lee (Kor) bt Suchanan Viratprasert (Tha) 7-5,6-4
Doubles (Quarter finals)
Elora Dabija(Rou) /Bojana Jovanovski (Srb) bt Jade Windley / Natasha
Khan (Gbr) 6-4,6-0
Julia Parasyuk(rus) / Korina Perkovic(Ger) bt Parija Maloo/
Poojashree Venkatesha(Ind) 6-4,6-0
Jade Curtis / Emily Webley Smith (Gbr) bt Varatchaya Wongteanchai
(tha) / Jing Jing Lu (Chn) 7-6(8-6),4-6,11-9
Kai-Chen Chang/ I HsuanHwang (Tpe) bt Ankita Bhambri/ Rushmi
Chakravarthy (Ind) 6-4,6-4