Sanaa begins with easy victory

In a run stretching back to the last six ITF tournaments she has been part of,Sanaa Bhambri has made it to the quarter-finals or better.

The Delhi player,currently playing in the $10,000 event in Pune,got off to a strong start in this weeks event,knocking out unseeded Prathana Pratap on Tuesday. Seeded third,Sanaa lost just three games in a 6-2 6-1 victory,which puts her in the second round. Up next for her is qualifier Aishwarya Agarwal,who defeated another Delhi player Garima Vatwani 6-4 6-4. Vatwani also qualified into the tournament,but couldnt go past the first round.

Prerna Bhambri got off to a winning start,beating Treta Bhattacharya in her first-round match 6-4 6-4. She faces a tough opponent for a place in the quarter-finals,seventh seed Korean Jung-yoon Shin. Shin knocked out Indian Tanvi Shah 6-1 6-3.

In other first-round action at the MSLTA courts,top seed Poojashree Venkatesh had a straight-sets win over Arantxa Andrady. The tall player from Bangalore who is enjoying a good run of form,picking up the title at the ITF event in Greater Noida last week extended her streak with a 6-2 6-1 victory.

Sheethal Goutham recently returned to the competitive circuit after a four-year break,also defeated last weeks finalist Moe Kawatoko of Japan in her opener,winning this one 7-6 (4) 6-3.

Second-seeded Rushmi Chakravarthi lost two games in her first set against Anna Geramisova,but didnt concede even one in the second,dealing a bagel to her Belarussian opponent in a 6-2 6-0 victory. She will play Rashmi Teltumbde next for a place in the quarter-finals. Teltumbde defeated Thailands Natchanok Saenyukhot 6-0 7-5.

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