News - Match - Player
Bengaluru, 23 January, 2025
India’s Sahaja Yamalapalli seemed to continue from where she left off on Wednesday. She came out all guns blazing to have her fancied rival Maria Timofeeva well and truly on the mat for the better part of the second-round match in the $100,000 KPB Trust Women’s Open at the KSLTA courts here on Thursday.
Much like her opening match, the world No. 315, instead of tightening the screws after breezing through the opening set, left the door ajar for the fourth-seeded Russian to make a match of it. Like the previous day, Sahaja took a toilet break after allowing the world No. 134 to push the issue to the decider.
The India No. 2 quickly put the second-set debacle behind her and began to dictate terms once again. The 24-year-old Hyderabadi eventually scored a shock 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 verdict.
The two-hour victory helped Sahaja set up a quarterfinal meeting with eighth-seeded Sara Bejlek of the Czech Republic. On the adjacent court, Bejlek was taken the distance by Kathinka von Deichmann before booking a berth in the last-eight stage with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win.
A little later, India No. 1 Ankita Raina came up short against top-seeded Tatjana Maria of Germany, losing in straight sets at 1-6, 3-6 in a match that never rose above the mediocre in an hour and 24 minutes.
Sahaja’s match was a complete contrast. It was studded with exquisite shot-making from the back of the court. An aggressive player who likes to dictate terms from the get-go, the India No. 2 -- who made the semifinals of an ITF event in the first event of the season in Thailand – was unstoppable in the first set, forcing the Russian into a series of errors.
That the Russian, winner of a WTA Tour title, couldn’t get her ‘A’ game seemed to suit Sahaja fine. The lack of match time in Timofeeva’s opener against the injured Brenda Fruhvirtova, who retired early in the match, may have probably played a part.
Be that as it may, the error-prone Russian stayed in the hunt thanks to Sahaja’s largesse in the second set. But before much damage could be done, the Indian fought back in brilliant fashion, pummelling Timofeeva into submission with her stunning groundstrokes and a couple of volley winners.
“I came back a completely different person in the third set, I let go of all the negativity of the second set,” said Sahaja. “I came out super fresh just like in the first set and played my best tennis to close out the match.”
Elsewhere, Linda Fruhvirtova of the Czech Republic scored a shock 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over the reigning champion and third seed Darja Semenistaja of Latvia.
The country’s biggest ITF tournament is sponsored by KPB Family Trust, Dafa News, Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru, Oriental Lotus, MSIL and Vaia Climate.
Results (prefix denotes seeding): Singles (Round 2): Sahaja Yamalapalli (Ind) bt 4-Maria Timofeeva (Rus) 6-1, 3-6, 6-1; 1-Tatjana maria (Ger) bt Ankita Raina (Ind) 6-1, 6-3; Sara Bejlek (Cze) bt Kathinka von Deichmann (Lie) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3; Lanlana Tararudee (Tha) bt Iryna Shymanovich (Blr) 6-0, retd.
Dalila Jakupovic bt 5-Alexandra Eala (Phi) 6-4, 6-4; 2-Rebecca Marino (Can) bt Maria Kozyreva (Rus) 6-2, 7-5; Linda Fruhvirtova (Cze) bt 3-Darja Semenistaja (Lat) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3; 7-Leolia Jeanjean (Fra) bt Panna Udvardy (Hun) 6-4, 6-4.
Doubles (Quarters): Lina Glushok (Isr)/ Anastasia Tikhonova (Rus) bt Ines Ibbou (Alg)/ Naima Karamoko (Sui) 3-6, 6-3, 10-8; 4-Jessie Aney/ Jessica Failla (US) w/o Brenda Fruhvirtova/ Linda Fruhvirtova (Cze); Prarthana G Thombare (Ind)/ Alicia Barnett (GBR) bt 3-Dalila Jakupovic (Slo)/ Laura Pigossi (Bra) 3-6, 6-3, 10-2; 1-Amina Anshba/ Elena Pridankina (Rus) bt Priska Medelyn Nugroho (Ina)/ Alana Smith (US) 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 10-3.
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