Nidhi & Rishika progress

Nidhi Chil-mula and Rishika Sunkara kept India’s challenge alive in the USD 10,000 CCI-ITF women’s tennis circuit here on Tuesday, even as six others were knocked out in first-round action.

Nidhi dropped the first set, but came back strongly in the next two to put it across qualifier Seda Arantekin of Turkey 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, while Rishika ousted compatriot Adnya Naik in straight sets in another opening-round clash at the Cricket Club of India’s courts.

The first-round losers’ list from the home country included Fed Cup player Prerna Bhambri, Kyra Shroff, Ashvarya Shrivastava, veteran Rushmi Chakravarthi and wild card entrant Sri Vaishnavi Peddi Reddy.

Barring Kyra, who gave a scare to top seed Keren Shlomo before losing in three sets, the others hardly gave any challenge to their rivals.

Top seed Keren, ranked 396th in the world, survived a tough opening round clash against Kyra before notching a 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 win.

The singles second seed and winner of the Aurangabad leg of the circuit last week, Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic quit her match against unseeded Serb rival Tamara Curovic when trailing 0-3 in the opening set as she was not feeling well.

Results: Singles (1st round): Nidhi Chilumula (Ind) bt Seda Arantekin (Tur) 2-6 6-2 6-2; 5-Peangtarn Plipuech (Tha) bt Michaela Frlicka (Ger) 6-4 6-3; 7-Jovana Jaksic (Srb) bt Rushmi Chakravarthi (Ind) 6-2 6-2; 1-Keren Shlomo (Isr) bt Kyra Shroff (Ind) 2-6 6-2 6-1; 4-Melis Sezer (Tur) bt Jeannine Prentner (Aut) 6-4 1-6 6-2; Varunya Wongteanchai (Tha) bt Prerna Bhambri (Ind) 6-1 6-1; 8-Nicole Clerico (Ita) bt Verena Schmid (Ger) 7-5 5-7 6-4; Nungnadda Wannasuk (Tha) bt Sri Vaishnavi Peddi Reddy (Ind) 6-4 6-1. 3-Agnese Zucchini (Ita) bt Barbara Luz (Por) 6-3 6-2; Stephanie Scimone (Ita) bt Karoline Kurz (Aut) 0-6 6-2 6-4; Sarah-Rebecca Sekulic (Ger) bt Anja Prislan (Slo) 6-3 6-4; Tamara Curovic (Srb) bt 2-Dalila Jakupovic (Slo) 3-0 (retd.).