L&T Mumbai Open WTA $ 125K Series
Wildcard entrant and current National champion Mahak Jain pulled off an upset victory over Russia’s Yana Sizikova in the first round of the qualifiers at the L&T Mumbai Open WTA $125K Series, organized by MSLTS and CCI and played at the CCI courts, here, on Saturday.
Mahak Jain
The 17-year-old Mahak, ranked 658 on the ATA circuit, dropped the first set to the 23-year-old Russian, ranked 374, before recovering to win the next two 6-3, 7-5 and set up a clash with second seed Hiroko Kutawa of Japan. Hiroko hardly broke into a sweat as she sailed past India’s Sowjanya Bavisetti 6-2, 6-1.
Also advancing to the second round was Pranjala Yadlapalli, who outclassed another wild card Mihika Yadav 6-3, 6-0 in an all-Indian clash. The 19-year-old Pranjala, ranked 280 and coming here on the back of two consecutive ITF title wins, was just too strong all round for Mihika, breaking her once in the first set and thrice in the second.
Pranjala will take on Georgia’s Oksana Kalashnikova, who had an easy 6-2, 6-1 win over Ksenja Ulukan (KGZ).
Top Tereza Martincova (CZE) eased into the second round blanking Japan’s Naoko Eto 6-0, 6-0 to set up a meeting with Georgia’s Sofia Shapatova.
Tomorrow’s winners will advance into the main draw.
Results:
Pranjala Yadlapalli (IND) bt Mihika Yadav (IND) 6-3, 6-0 ; Oksana Kalashnikova (GEO) bt Ksenia Ulukan (KGZ) 6-2, 6-1; Hiroko Kuwata (JPN) bt Sowjanya Bavisetti (IND) 6-2, 6-1; Sofia Shapatava (GEO) bt Ashmith Easwaramurthi (IND) 6-0, 6-3; Tereza Martincova (CZE) bt Naoko Eto (JPN) 6-0, 6-0; Mahak Jain (IND) bt Yana Sizikova (RUS) 3-6, 6-3,7-5 ; Urszula Radwanska (Pol) bt Emily Webley-Smith (UK) 6-4, 6-3; Natalija Kostic (SRB) bt Fiona Codino (FRA) 7-5, 6-0.