Top seed Prerna Bhambri had to dig deep into her reserves to quell the challenge of 17-year-old Karman Kaur Thandi to enter the quarter-finals of the RGUHS ITF Kalaburagi Open here on Wednesday.
The world No 476 had to raise the level of her game many notches in the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences sponsored $10,000 event to stay ahead of the Toronto based world No 778 in the second round.
In what turned out to be an intense and high class tennis battle, Bhambri just proved a notch better than Thandi to prevail 6-3, 7-6 (5).
The first set saw Karman make a few unforced errors that allowed Bhambri break her in the fourth game which was enough for her to claim the first set, holding onto her serves carefully.
The second set saw the rivals trade serves in the first two games and then began the struggle for supremacy.
Aces were pounded, passing shots whizzed by and cross court winners were hit with tenacity as Prerna and Karman looked for that one break and ensuring they hold serves. With each screaming themselves into focus, the set was pushed into the tie-breaker.
Here too the players traded the first two points and then held serves until Bhambri found herself on match point at 6-5.
“I knew her game and I knew that I had to raise my game. She hits hard and loves to attack. I had to make those adjustments and it worked for me. It was a tough game and she (Karman) is a good playerâ€, said Bhambri after the contest.
“I had to play her game and began attacking and that worked. I am happy I won and actually relievedâ€, added the top seed.
Third seed Druthi Tatachar became the first casualty of this event when she went down tamely to Thailand’s Tamachan Momkoonthod in straight sets 6-2, 6-4.
Last week’s finalist Riya Bhatia, seeded 8th bowed out with a straight sets defeat to unseeded Sai Samhitha Chamarthi 4-6, 2-6.
Results: (Prefix denotes seeding):
Singles R16: (All Indians unless mentioned): (1) Prerna Bhambri bt Kaman Kaur Thandi 6-3, 7-6 (5); (6) Nidhi Chilumula bt Anusha Kondaveeti 6-2, 6-0; Tamachan Momkoonthod (Tha) bt (3) Druthi Tatachar Venugopal 6-2, 6-4; (2) Natasha Palha bt Shweta Rana 6-1, 6-2; (7) Eetee Maheta bt Sahan Shetty 6-1, 7-5; Sai Samhitha Chamarthi bt (8) Riya Bhatia 6-4, 6-2; (4) Prarthana Thombare bt Moulika Ram 6-2, 6-3; Aastha Dargude bt Sneha Padamata 6-4, 7-5.
Doubles: Quarter-finals: (4) Dhruthi Tatachar Venugopal / Karman Kaur Thandi bt Tamachan Momkoonthod (Tha) / Plobrung Plipuech (Tha) 6-2, 6-1; (2) Nidhi Chilumula / Eetee Maheta bt Sai Samhitha Chamarthi / Chun-Yan He (Chn) 6-1, 6-2; (3) Prerna Bhambri / Kanika Vaidya bt Abinikka Renganathan / Soha Sadiq 6-2, 6-2.
