Nirupama wins on comeback

Poojashree, Sheethal advance

Nirupama will now take on top seed and 111-ranked Tamarine Tanasugarn who bettered Rushmi Chakravarthi 6-2, 6-0 in 54 minutes.

Amongst other Indians in action, Poojashree Venkatesha and lucky loser Sheethal Goutham also made it to the last 16 of the event.

Poojashree outplayed wildcard Rashmi Teltumbde 6-2, 6-3, while Sheethal scraped past qualifier Shivika Burman 7-6 (7-2), 2-6, 6-4.

In the best match of the day, Nirupama played consistent tennis to outplay the tall and lanky Curovic in 81 minutes.

Nirupama led 5-4 having broken Curovic in the third game, but was broken back by Curovic in the tenth to level scores. Curovic then led 6-5, but Nirupama played some solid backhands and served consistently to hold on to her serve and force a tiebreak. The 34-year old Nirupama proved too wily for the young Curovic in the tiebreak. A shattered Curovic surrendered a 2-0 lead in the second set as Nirupama broke back in the fourth game to restore parity and again in the eighth to win the set and the match.

Nirupama, a pioneer in Indian women’s tennis had faded away from the scene after her marriage but she showed she has some good tennis left in her on Tuesday.

Results (Indians unless stated otherwise): First round: Tamarine Tanasugarn (Tha) bt Rushmi Chakravarthi 6-2, 6-0; Nirupama Sanjeev bt Tamara Curovic (Srb) 7-6 (7-5),6-3; Noppawan Lertcheewakarn (Tha) bt Ganna Piven(Ukr) 7-6 (3),6-3; Nina Bratchikova (Rus) bt Prerna Bhambri 6-4, 6-3; Nudnida Luangnam(Tha) bt Ksenia Palkina 7-5, 1-6, 5-0 (retd); Varatchaya Wongteanchai (Tha) bt Shweta Kumari Solanki 6-2,6-3; Shiho Hisamatsu (Jpn) bt Keren Shlomo (Isr) 6-2, 2-6, 7-5; Anastasiya Vasylyeva (Ukr) bt Nicole Clerico (Ita) 6-3, 6-2; Poojashree Venkatesha bt Rashmi Teltumbde 6-2, 6-3; Bojana Jovanovski (Srb) bt Rishika Sunkara 6-4, 7-5; Sheethal Goutham bt Shivika Burman 7-6 (7-2), 2-6, 6-4; Chen Astrogo (Isr) bt Dalila Jakupovic (Slo) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1; Sabina Sharipova (Uzb) bt Magali de Lattre (Por) 6-4, 6-3.