Tags:
Journalism of Courage
NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 16: Nirupama Vaidyanathan made a hash of things before coming through against higher-ranked Indonesian Wynne Prakusya 198 6-2, 1-6, 6-0 in the 25,000 ITF women8217;s tennis circuit at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association complex on Thursday.
Nirupama played splendidly in the first set, breaking the Indonesian in the first, third and fifth games and holding her own to run up a 5-0 lead. This was when Prakusya took a medical time-out to have her foot taped. The break seemed to affect Nirupama8217;s rhythm and from then on, she floundered.
Prakusya broke her in the next game and held and Nirupama serving for the set for the second time, managed to hold onto her first set point.
The second set saw Prakusya play at a different level. She mixed her shots well and kept Nirupama on the defensive.
In the third, it was all over by the second game, which went to eight deuces and which Nirupama clinched on her fourth break point. Something seemed to snap in Prakusya then and she just gave up.
Italian Tathiana Garbin took on challenger Abigail Tordoff of Britain and just ran through the encounter in under an hour. She returned beautifully, and used her athleticism to great effect. She whipped the clueless 20-year-old 6-3, 6-0.
Garbin and Nirupama then combined to reach the doubles final, where they face top seeds Rika Hiraki and Woodroffe. Garbin also faces Hiraki in the singles semifinal, while Nirupama has a tough call against second seed Katalin Marosi. The Indian beat Marosi in straight sets in the US Open qualifying second round this year.
Results
Seedings in prefix
Singles quarter-finals:1-Tathiana Garbin ITA bt Abigail Tordoff GBR 6-3, 6-0; 5-Rika Hiraki JPN bt 3-Lucie Ahl GBR 7-5, 7-5; 6-Nirupama Vaidyanathan IND bt Wynne Prakusya Indonesia 6-2, 1-6, 6-0.
Doubles semi-finals: 1-Rika Hiraki/Lorna Woodroffe JPN/GBR bt 4-Katalin Marosi/Benjamas Sangram HUN/THA 7-5, 6-2; 2-Nirupama Vaidyanathan/Tathiana Garbin IND/ITA bt 3-HelenCrook/Victoria Davies GBR 6-3, 6-1
