Sixth seed Megha Vakharia of India became the first seed to be ousted, when she was shocked by unseeded Diana Julianto of Indonesia 6-7(4-7), 4-6 in the women's singles first round, in the $10,000 ITF-Futures tennis circuit (second leg) at the Shivaji Park Gymkhana in Mumbai on Tuesday.
However, other seeded players in action, including the first-leg winner last week and fourth seed Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan, second seed Rushmi Chakravarthi and third seed Sai Jayalakshmi (both from India) sailed into the second round with straight set victories.
Hard-hitting Amanmuradova took 55 minutes to sideline unseeded Israeli Yael Glitzenshtein 6-1, 6-3 while Rushmi needed an hour and ten minutes to oust her unseeded compatriot Ankita Bhambri 6-1, 7-5. Sai swept past unseeded Indian Sonal Phadke 6-4, 6-1 in just 46 minutes.
Qualifier Liza Pereira hogged the limelight on day two with a 6-4, 7-6 (9-7) win over unseeded Englishwoman Carly Homewood in an hour and 45 minutes.
Another Indian qualifier, Isha Lakhani was unlucky as she had to concede her match while trailing 0-1 due to joint strain in the lower back against unseeded Diana Costa of Portugal after just two minutes on court.
Top seed Manisha Malhotra of India, unseeded Etzel Franziska of Germany, eighth seed Wilawan Choptang of Thailand, qualifier Shahar Peer of Isreal and unseeded Russian Julia Vorobieva had all moved into the second round yesterday.
The Pereira-Homewood duel witnessed a fierce battle for supremacy. It was the Indian who effected an early break to wrest the initiative, when she broke the Englishwoman in the second game of the first set.
Homewood managed to break back in the ninth game to narrow the margin to 4-5 before the local girl came up with some breathtaking passing shots on either flanks to break her opponent and pocket the first set 6-4.
In the second set, Pereira had to contain a rejuvenated Homewood, who managed an early break in the very first game. The Indian, who again came out of a tight spot with a break in the fourth game, went ahead when she broke her in the sixth game and looked all set to wrap up the match.
However, the English lass had other ideas and with a crucial break in the ninth game, she not only managed to force a tie-break but also led comfortably at 5-1, which included a mini set point.
Liza then played some superb attacking tennis to not only level the scores at 5-all but win the set at 9-7 and with that the match.
Results (women's singles) first round:
A Amanmuradova (Uzb) bt Y Glitzenshtein (ISR) 6-1, 6-3; Sai Jayalakshmi (Ind) bt S Phadke (Ind) 6-4, 6-1; R Chakravarthi (Ind) bt A Bhambri (Ind) 6-1, 7-5; L Pereira (Ind) bt C Homewood (GBR) 6-4, 7-6 (9-7); D Julianto (Ina) bt M Vakharia (Ind) 7-6(7-4), 6-4; D Costa (Por) bt I Lakhani (Ind) 1-0 (conceeded); M Malhotra (Ind) bt G Manohar (Ind) 6-1, 7-5; C Thimjapo (Tha) bt Po-kuen Lam (HK) 6-2, 6-4; W Chaptang (Tha) bt S Dhawan (Ind).
