Qualifier Sadiq knocks out top seed at Women’s ITF Main Draw

Bengaluru-based qualifier Soha Sadiq registered the upset of the day by ousting top-seeded Riya Bhatia in the opening match of the main draw of the $25,000 Women’s ITF Championships on Tuesday. Titled the KPIT- MSLTA ITF WTT Cup tennis championships, the tournament was held at the Deccan Gymkhana tennis courts.

In the first set, the scores were level at 4-4 when Bhatia managed to break her opponent’s serve in the ninth game and thereafter held her serve to win the set 6-4. The situation, however, reversed in favour of Sadiq in the second set. Sadiq pinned Bhatia to the baseline and the latter lost the set 6-2. Sadiq came back from the loss of the first set to win the third set 6-1 in a match that lasted for two hours and eight minutes.

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“I was a little tense. Riya also gave a very good fight. But I got into my rhythm in the second set. Also, I found my main weapon which is the forehand. So, my confidence got a booster,” said Sadiq.

Meanwhile, seventh-seeded Zeel Desai, Mihika Yadav, Ramya Natarajan and Sowjanya Bavisetti, alongside qualifiers Sravya Shivani Chilakalapudi and Nidhi Chilumula, as well as wildcard Vaidehi Chaudari were the other players to make it to the round of 16.