Top seed Manisha Malhotra of India and fourth seed Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan will clash in the final in the $10,000 ITF Futures tennis tournament (second leg) at the Shivaji Park Gymkhana in Mumbai on Saturday.
In Friday's semi-finals, former national champion Manisha needed a second set tie-break to sideline third-seed and compatriot Sai Jayalakshmi 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) in an hour and 45 minutes while Amanmuradova pipped eighth seed Wilawan Choptang of Thailand 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in a little under two hours.
Manisha was much fitter and faster than her opponent. She got a crucial break in the ninth game and then served out the first set to win at 6-4.
In the second set, Jayalakshmi put up some resistance and led 3-1, with a break in the second game. However, Manisha bounced back and with a break in the ninth game, neutralised the advantage her rival had to force the tie-break.
In the tie-break, Manisha took a comfortable 4-1 lead and never looked back, winning at 7-4.
Amanmuradova, who had won the first leg at CCI last week, had to sweat for her win. In the first set she broke her opponent in the eighth game before serving out the set, while in the second, she dropped serve in the seventh game to lose the set 3-6.
However, Amanmuradova played attacking tennis in the decider and with a break in the eighth game managed to
wrap-up the set and match at 6-4.
Amanmuradova, who is seeded second along with Chin-Bee Khoo of Malaysia in the doubles, had made it to the doubles final on Thursday.
Results: all semi-finals: Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzb) bt Wilawan Choptang (Tha) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; Manisha Malhotra (Ind) bt Sai Jayalakshmi (Ind) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).
Doubles: Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzb)/ Chin-Bee Khoo (Mal) bt Orawan Lamangthong (Tha)/ Geeta Manohar (Ind) 7-5, 6-4; Ludmila Rozsivalova (Cze)/ Julia Vorobieva (Rus) bt Shurti Dhawan (Ind)/ Yael Gliztenshtein (Isr) 6-4, 6-3.
