NEW DELHI, MAY 31: Both singles semi-final matches of the ITF women's Masters were scripted in much the same fashion and ended in much the same way. Underdogs Isha Lakhani and Archana Venkataraman both played enthusiastic first sets - both serving for their respective first sets at 5-4 up. Both went on to lose in straight sets. Top seed Sonal Phadke beat fellow Mumbaikar Isha 7-5, 6-3, while second seed Megha Vakharia, also a product of MSLTA, put an end to any hopes Bangalore-based Archana might have entertained of winning the Masters, beating her 7-5, 6-1.The Sonal-Isha match was interesting for the contrast the two made. Isha has the lively exuberance of a 15-year-old. Sonal is cool and composed. Isha's expressions and body language are indicative of her moods. Sonal is more circumspect. Isha is perhaps a little impatient, she wants to finish every point as quickly as possible. Sonal, with the advantage of a couple of years, has learnt the virtue of patience and playing a waiting game. Ultimately, as is often the case, it was experience that won the battle.And a battle it was, at least in the first set. Though Sonal went 2-0 up with a break in the second game, Isha fought back to take the next three. Sonal broke Isha again in the sixth and Isha broke back in the ninth, to go up 5-4. Serving for the set, she was broken and as Sonal said later, "that made all the difference". About her erratic play in the first set, she added, "Instead of attacking when Isha broke back, I went into defensive mode. Somehow, I wasn't that confident." Isha, dealing with a painful corn on her right foot, put her loss down to four words: "I tried too hard."A pleasant sight at the end of this match was when Sonal chatted with Isha and comforted her. All three Mumbai girls (the third being Megha) are coached by Manoj Vaidya and are good friends. The camaraderie makes for nice viewing.Megha's win over Archana will obviously be very tough on the latter's self-confidence. Both Archana, and elder sister Arthi, who lost to Megha in the first round here, have been around for some time now. Twenty-two-year-old Archana, seven years older than Megha, has lost thrice to the teenager in the past three weeks. Today, she messed up all the chances she had. Firmly ensconced in the driver's seat in the first set, she led Megha four games to love.Inexplicably, Archana allowed Megha to not only get back into the match, but also completely dominate proceedings from thereon. She took the next three games and never quite looked back. Of course, full credit must go to southpaw Megha, who came onto court holding an ice bag to her strained left elbow and came back from a very difficult situation with considerable aplomb.On a last note, it must be mentioned that Archana didn't shake hands with the chair umpire after the match, following a couple of disagreements over line calls and the rules. She is no rookie and there is no excuse for bad behaviour, whatever the provocation.
