Nirupama powers into final, Sai survives scare

Favourite and top seed Nirupama made her intentions clear breaking left-handed Urska in the opening game of the first set and despite dropped her serve in the next, she again took the lead 2-1 before racing to 5-3 winning the eighth game at love.

Playing under pressure, Urska double-faulted at set point and handed over the first set to Nirupama in 30 minutes.

The Indian opened up 5-0 lead with two breaks of Urska’s serves before she made some silly errors while serving for the match. Nirupama was stretched to deuces four times before she converted the third match point in 6-3, 6-1 win.

Urska was stranded in the corner when Nirupama blasted a powerful down the line serve and the Slovenian just managed to put her raquet to stop the ball’s speed.

The second semi-final turned out to be a touch-and-go affair for India number three Sai, who had no clue to what was happening at the initial stages. Sai, who won the first leg at Mumbai last week, was all at sea facing giant-killer Maja before being blanked 0-6 in the first set.

National hardcourt champion Sai Jayalakshmi, who triumphed on the same courts last year, was broken thrice in the first set as muscular Maja continued with her good run here.

The Slovenian, who defeated second seed Manisha Malhotra yesterday, looked set for another upset but Sai recovered in time to arrest Maja’s run.

After Sai raced to 4-0 lead with two breaks in the second set, Maja made a brief comeback and broke the Indian in sixth and tenth game to draw level at 5-5.

“She was all over in the first set and I was really tired. But I collected all by strength and used long rallies to force her comit mistakes,” Sai said after the match.

Making it to the 32-player main draw through three-round gruelling qualifying tournament over the weekend, Maja still had enough strength to carry on with her heroics. She won the 11th game and put Sai under extreme pressure before the Indian saved the day by forcing the tie-breaker.

Once into the tie-breaker, Sai never looked back. Using all her experience against young Maja, Sai won the set 7-6 (7/3), taking the fight into the decider.

Both players traded breaks early on before Maja drew level (2-2) and both the two held their serves till the ninth game (5-4) before Sai came up with a classy forehand passing winner in the 10th to break Maja again and pocket the match.

Results (semifinals): Nirupama Vaidyanathan (India) bt Urska Vesenjak (Slovenia) 6-3, 6-1; Sai Jayalakshmy (India) bt Maja Mlakar (Slovenia) 0-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4.