<p> It was Poojashree’s third ITF title, her previous crowns coming in New Delhi and Islamabad. The Bangalorean had on Friday won the doubles title too, partnering Mumbaikar Isha Lakhani, to complete a grand double here. <br /><br />“I played the crucial points better than Dalila today. It’s good to win in front of my home crowd,” Poojashree said after the completion of the one-hour, 15-minute match.<br />Poojashree started off well, holding her very first serve with a backhand winner. <br /><br />The top seed, however, soon trailed Jakupovic when a double-fault and an unforced error helped the Slovenian go ahead 2-1.<br />Jakupovic came up with a string of stunning forehand winners, but the 18-year-old squandered the advantage by dumping wide even easy volleys. Poojashree broke her opponent twice — in the fourth and sixth games — and but then dropped her own serve to hold a 4-3 lead as Jakupovic showed glimpses of her talent, unleashing two consecutive forehand down the line winners followed by a cross-court return.<br /><br />Poojashree raised the level of her game when it mattered most. She broke Jakupovic’s serve in the eighth and then served out the set. Poojashree hurried the seventh seed with a deep return and took the set with a double-handed backhand passing shot.<br />Both players failed to hold their serve at the start of the second set too. The match then saw Poojashree producing a peach of a point to draw level at 2-all. Jakupovic hit a powerful cross-court forehand and Poojashree, who took a couple of steps forward anticipating a drop shot from the Slovenian, managed to slice the ball past the rushing Jakupovic.<br /><br />Poojashree took a stranglehold on the match from then on, breaking Jakupoivc in the seventh and ninth games. The top seed pumped her fist in celebration when Jakupovic netted a backhand return. “She played really well and I made a lot of mistakes too. Full credit to Poojashree,” said Jakupovic.<br /><br />Poojashree took home $1568 and received 12 WTA points for her triumph.<br /><br />DH News Service</p>
<p> It was Poojashree’s third ITF title, her previous crowns coming in New Delhi and Islamabad. The Bangalorean had on Friday won the doubles title too, partnering Mumbaikar Isha Lakhani, to complete a grand double here. <br /><br />“I played the crucial points better than Dalila today. It’s good to win in front of my home crowd,” Poojashree said after the completion of the one-hour, 15-minute match.<br />Poojashree started off well, holding her very first serve with a backhand winner. <br /><br />The top seed, however, soon trailed Jakupovic when a double-fault and an unforced error helped the Slovenian go ahead 2-1.<br />Jakupovic came up with a string of stunning forehand winners, but the 18-year-old squandered the advantage by dumping wide even easy volleys. Poojashree broke her opponent twice — in the fourth and sixth games — and but then dropped her own serve to hold a 4-3 lead as Jakupovic showed glimpses of her talent, unleashing two consecutive forehand down the line winners followed by a cross-court return.<br /><br />Poojashree raised the level of her game when it mattered most. She broke Jakupovic’s serve in the eighth and then served out the set. Poojashree hurried the seventh seed with a deep return and took the set with a double-handed backhand passing shot.<br />Both players failed to hold their serve at the start of the second set too. The match then saw Poojashree producing a peach of a point to draw level at 2-all. Jakupovic hit a powerful cross-court forehand and Poojashree, who took a couple of steps forward anticipating a drop shot from the Slovenian, managed to slice the ball past the rushing Jakupovic.<br /><br />Poojashree took a stranglehold on the match from then on, breaking Jakupoivc in the seventh and ninth games. The top seed pumped her fist in celebration when Jakupovic netted a backhand return. “She played really well and I made a lot of mistakes too. Full credit to Poojashree,” said Jakupovic.<br /><br />Poojashree took home $1568 and received 12 WTA points for her triumph.<br /><br />DH News Service</p>
