'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Pune: Third seed Nidhi Chilumula, fifth seed Natasha Palha, seventh seed Etee Mehta, along with unseeded Rashmi Teltumbde and Bhuvana Kalva were the five Indian players who made it to the main draw through qualifying rounds of the NECC ITF Women’s $25,000 event being organized and hosted by Deccan Gymkhana on Sunday.
In the final qualifying round played on Sunday, Chilumula eased past Vaniya Dangwal 6-2, 6-2, while Palha prevailed over Mumbai’s Adnya Naik 6-4, 6-4.
Etee Mehta won the longest match of the day, beating 11th seed Sowjanya Bavisetti 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. Kalva had no such troubles in dispatching 6-0, 6-1. Japanese girls Chihiro Nunome, Chihiro Takayama and Taipei’s Lee Ya-Hsuan completed the qualifiers’ line-up.
The tournament was inaugurated at the hands of Mr. Yasin Merchant, Former World Billiards champion on Sunday evening. Mr. Anand Tulpule, who acted as tournament director for this tournament for nine years, was felicitated for his contribution. Tournament Director, Mukund Joshi welcomed the guests while Joint Organizing Secretary Prashant Gosavi gave the vote of thanks.
The main draw for this tournament gets underway on Monday, with Russia’s Nina Bratchikova being the top seed.
RESULTS (Qualifying Final Round)
Chihiro Nunome (Jpn) Chamarthi Sai Samhitha (Ind) 7-6(6), 6-3; 3-Nidhi Chilumula (Ind) bt Vaniya Dangwal (Ind) 6-2, 6-2; 5-Natasha Palha (Ind) bt 12-Adnya Naik (Ind) 6-4, 6-4; Rashmi Teltumbde (Ind) bt Nupur Kaul (Ind) 6-0, 6-1;6-Chihiro Takayama (Jpn) bt 10-Sharon Sanchana Paul (Ind) 6-1, 6-3; 7-Eetee Maheta (Ind) bt 11-Sowjanya Bavisetti (Ind) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2; 8-Lee Ya-Hsuan (TPE) bt Sharmada Balu (Ind) 6-3, 6-3; Bhuvana Kalva (Ind) bt Amala Amol Warrick (Ind) 6-0, 6-1;
SEEDINGS
Singles: 1. Nina Bratchikova (Rus), 2. Aleksandra Krunic (SRB), 3. Tadeja Majeric (Slo), 4. Sheng-Nan Sun (Chn),5. Conny Perrin (Sui), 6. Noppawan Lertcheewakaran (Tha), 7. Ilona Kremen (Blr), 8. Jia-Jing Lu (Chn);
Doubles: 1. Tadeja Majeric (Slo)/ Conny Perrin (Sui), 2. Oksana Kalashnikova (Geo)/ Aleksandra Krunic (SRB), 3. Ilona Kremen (Blr)/ Margarita Lazareva (Rus), 4. Jia Xiang Lu/ Jia Jing Lu (Chn).
