News - Match - Player
Bengaluru, 24 January, 2025
In a match of small margins, eighth-seeded Sara Bejlek played the big points well to put it across India’s Sahaja Yamalapalli in the quarterfinals of the $100,000 KPB Trust Women’s Open at the KSLTA courts here on Thursday.
In a match that could have gone either way, the Czech girl scored a 6-4, 6-4 victory and set up a semifinal meeting giant-killer Leolia Jeanjean, who scored a splendid come-from-behind win over second-seeded Rebecca Marino of Canada. The Frenchwoman won 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 in a marathon encounter lasting two hours and 37 minutes.
In the other semifinal, top-seeded Tatjana Maria of Germany takes on Czech Republic’s Linda Fruhvirtova. While Maria toyed with Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee 6-2, 6-2, Linda kept her giant-killing act going with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 win over Dalila Jakupovic of Slovenia.
Like in her two previous matches, Sahaja made light of the disparity in rankings and began strongly against her Czech rival. However, the Indian failed to maintain the same intensity in the one-hour, 27-minute affair. Errors crept into her game at crucial junctures to let her Czech rival, who wasn’t on top of her game herself, off the hook.
Ranked over 160 spots below Bejlek, the Indian ace had her chances to go up a break, but failed to convert the three breakpoint opportunities in the fourth game. It was Sahaja, ranked No. 315, who blinked first with several errors on serve to hand the southpaw a 3-2 lead.
However, Sahaja didn’t let that deter her as she broke back in the eighth game. But a slew of errors gave Bejlek three set points in the next game. A drive volley into the net gave the Czech the opening set.
The two traded breaks early in the second, but the eighth seed was certainly on top and the decisive break came in the seventh game and Bejlek then served out for the match in the 10th game.
“I’m happy with the way I fought against a player ranked 150 in the world,” said Sahaja. ‘That gives me a lot of confidence going ahead.”
MARIA ON A SONG
On the adjacent court, top-seeded Maria, a counterpuncher, slowed down the tempo of the match with her sliced backhand returns against an opponent who relies on her big-hitting from the back of the court.
In no time, Tararudee was down 0-4 and looked towards her coach in the stands for help. She did break the German world No. 90 in the fifth game, but the writing was clear on the wall.
Maria took the first set 6-2, and the script remained unchanged in the second set too. Errors flowed thick and fast from the exasperated Thai girl’s racquet, and Maria made the most of it and sealed the set and match 6-2.
The country’s biggest ITF tournament is sponsored by KPB Family Trust, Dafa News, Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru, Oriental Lotus, MSIL and Vaia Climate.
Semifinal line-up: 1-Tatjana Maria (Ger) vs Linda Fruhvirtova (Cze); Sara Bejlek (Cze) vs Leolia Jeanjean (Fra).
Results (prefix denotes seeding): Singles (Quarterfinals): 8-Sara Bejlek (Cze) bt Sahaja Yamalapalli (Ind) 6-4, 6-4; 1-Tatjana Maria (Ger) bt Lanlana Tararudee (Tha) 6-2, 6-2; 7-Leolia Jeanjean (Fra) bt 2-Rebecca Marino (Can) 3-6, 7-5, 7-5; Linda Fruhvirtova (Cze) bt Dalila Jakupovic (Slo) 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.
Doubles (Semifinals): 4-Jessie Aney/ Jessica Failla (US) bt Lina Glushko (Isr)/ Anastasia Tikhonova (Rus) 1-6, 6-2, 10-6; 1-Amina Anshba/ Elena Pridankina (Rus) bt Prarthana G Thombare (Ind)/ Alicia Barnett (GBR) 6-3, 6-2.
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