Sai, Rushmi to clash in final

AHMEDABAD, OCT 15: Sai Jayalakshmy could have been a geometry teacher had she not taken up tennis. With an eye for impossible angles and ...

AHMEDABAD, OCT 15: Sai Jayalakshmy could have been a geometry teacher had she not taken up tennis. With an eye for impossible angles and pin point precision she can make her rivals run in circles. Today at the AGETA courts here the 22-years-old second seed gave her young opponent Shruti Dhawan a lesson in court craft to record a 6-2, 6-4 win and enter the final of the UN Mehta ITF8217;s women8217;s circuit tennis tournament. Sai now meets Rushmi Chakravarthi, who survived a match point against Thailand8217;s Orawan Wongkamalasai but prevailed 5-7, 7-6 7-2, 6-1.

The Sai-Shurti match had an element of poetic justice to it. Shruti, who had handed Archana Venkatraman her second defeat in two weeks yesterday, followed her setback against Sai at the New Delhi Nationals with a defeat here.

The two players showed contrasting styles of play. Shruti had the more conventional game 8211; big forehand, fast on the baseline and occasional net forays. While Sai was a bit different 8211; deceptively quick, deep ground strokes and usingevery inch of her rivals court. It came as no surprise when she revealed after the match that for almost a year she has been training at the Krishnan Academy at Chennai.

Sai took the first game 6-1 and with a 4-1 lead in the second, she might have fancied an early end to the ordeal under the sun but Shruti stalled the plans though just temporarily. Sai hung on to prevail at 6-4.

If the first semi-final followed the script the second had drama. The fourth seed Orawan Wongkamalasai had a strategy 8211; if the opponent is better, then be smart. Barring a soft serve, Rushmi possesses a deadly inside out forehand and is pretty quick. To counter that Orawan mixed a concoction of spin, slice, drops and lobs.

Thailand8217;s fifth ranked player won the first set 7-5 and was leading 4-1 but then Rushmi broke the trance to draw level at 4-4. Opportunity knocked again at Orawan8217;s door when she had a match point at 5-4 40-30. But as a backhand slice sailed too far to the left, opportunity crossed the net.

Rushmi tookthe game to make it 5-5 and finished off the second set in 68 minutes at 7-2 in the tie-breaker. This shattered the Thai girl, who was troubled by a stomach cramp, both mentally and physically. Rushmi cantered to a 6-1 win to pack home the second foreigner after she had ousted Anna Nefedova on Russia in the quarter-final.

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As for the final, Sai and Rushmi have been clashing since their wonder years and so there not much they do not know about each other game. The last they played was in the National Games about a year back at Bangalore, where Sai won. But tomorrow is another day.

RESULTS

Semi-final: Sai Jayalakshmy bt Shruti Dhawan 6-2, 6-4; Rushmi Chakravarthi bt Orawan Wongkamalasai 7-5, 7-6 7-2, 6-1.

Patty Mureb top seeded

PUNE: Patty Mureb of US, the top ranked player at 651 and the top seed, would lead the foreign challenge in the BPL Mobile International Tennis Federation ITF Womens Championship at the Deccan Gymkhana Courts here from October 19 to 24.

Archana Venkatramanwould lead the Indian challenge. Others in the fray include Suvimaol Duangchanog of Thailand 705, Anna Eugenia Nefedova 731 of Russia and Orawan Wongkamalasai also of Thailand 789.

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The Indian champion Sai Jayalakshmy 735 and Rushmi Chakravarti 901, who is the winner of the Western Indian Tennis Championship held here last year, are in the fray for the prize money of 5,000. The Pune leg will be the second leg. The seedings would be announced after the main draw on Sunday.

The players: Patty Murren US 651, Archana Venkatraman Ind 660, Suvimol Duangchan Thai 705, Anna Engenia Nefedova Russia 731, Sai Jayalakshmy Ind 735, Orawan Wongkamalasai Thai 789, Arthi Venkatraman Ind 901, Rushmi Chakravarthi Ind 901, Montika Anuchan Ind, Shruti Dhawan Ind, Sadia Pathan Ind, Trishna Williams Ind, Juthika Choksi Ind, Karishma Patel Ind, Astrid Gendron-Judd Canada, Priyanka Contractor Ind, Stuti Smit Ind, Sumitra Rao Ind, Jasleen Randhawa Ind, Pallavi RavikumarInd, Shivant Bhatt Ind, Tarminder Grover Ind, Nikita Bhardwaj Ind, Sheetal Gautham Ind, Tara S Kanbargimata Ind.

Sandeep Dwivedi

Sandeep Dwivedi is the Sports Editor at The Indian Express. He is one of India's most prominent sports journalists, known for his deep analytical insights and storytelling that often goes beyond scores and statistics to explore the human and cultural side of sports. Professional Profile Role: As the Sports Editor, he leads the sports coverage for the newspaper and the website. Weekly Column: He writes "The Sports Column," a weekly feature where he provides sharp, narrative-driven perspectives on the biggest sporting news of the week. Podcast: He is a frequent contributor to the "Express Sports" podcast (Game Time), where he discusses evolving trends in cricket and other international sports. Areas of Expertise While Dwivedi covers the entire sporting spectrum, his work is particularly noted in the following areas: Cricket: He provides extensive coverage of the Indian National Team and the IPL. He frequently analyzes the leadership styles of figures like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Gautam Gambhir. He is known for tracking the transition phases of Indian cricket and the evolution of specific players like Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant. Athletics & Olympic Sports: He has written extensively on Neeraj Chopra’s rise in javelin, the nuances of Indian shooting, and tennis legends like Sania Mirza and Leander Paes. Human Interest Stories: A hallmark of his writing is his focus on the struggles and backgrounds of athletes, such as the sacrifices made by Shafali Verma’s father or the "silent battles" of veteran players like Cheteshwar Pujara. Notable Recent Work & Themes Leadership and Dynamics: Recently, he has written about the dynamic between Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, arguing that personal friendship is not a prerequisite for team success. Sports & Culture: His articles often intersect with global culture, such as his deep dive into the 100-year legacy of the Harlem Globetrotters and their role as American soft power during the Cold War. The "Grey Areas" of Sport: He often addresses sensitive topics like the mental health of cricketers post-retirement, the "outrage industry" in sports broadcasting, and the impact of fan-wars on the game. Tenure and Experience Dwivedi has been with The Indian Express for over three decades. This experience allows him to provide historical context to modern sporting events, often comparing current crises or triumphs to those of previous generations. You can follow his latest work and columns on his official Indian Express Author Profile. ... Read More