Sanaa shoots down former world top-10 player

Kolkata, Sep 16 (UNI) Sanaa Bhambri caused the first upset of the Sunfeast Open when she ousted the big-serving Dutch Brenda Schultz-Mccarthy in a thrilling three setter in the qualifiers today.

Sanaa, who is ranked 691 in the world, won the tie 0-6, 6-3, 7-6 (9-7).

Brenda, a former top 10 player with seven singles and nine doubles WTA titles to her credit, began in a whirlwind manner, walloping Sanaa 6-0 in the first set. But the gritty Sanaa came back strongly in the second to put brakes on the big serving Dutch.

In the second set, Brenda was stunned at the returns from Sanaa and the service games she played from the baseline. Later, in a post-match briefing Sanaa said, ''I had no clue about her. I saw her yesterday and met her in the locker room once.'' She was even not aware of the fact that she was a former top 10 player.

''I guess sometimes it helps going in without any clue. But sometimes knowing one or two things about the opponent helps. I had no clue as to what was happening in the first set. But in the second, I regained my composure and then started to hold my serves.

I knew if I could return the balls well she was bound to make mistakes.

''It's always good to win a big match in the first round. It sets you up for the tournament. With more such exposure and more tournaments like this I am bound to play better in the coming days,'' Sanaa said.

In the second set, Sanaa went up 4-3 breaking Schultz and thereafter she never looked behind. The third set was a thriller with both the players holding serves to six games all, sending the game to tie-breakers.

And it was a holding of serve and a couple of thrilling ground strokes that saw the game going in the Indian's favour.

''I did not want two laddoos in my scoresheet. Now I am geared up for more,'' she said.

Shultz, after a meteoric rise to World No 9, hurtled down to 301 in the rankings, owning to a nagging herniated disc that kept her out of action for better part of 2003-04.

Sanaa will meet German qualifier Sabine Lisicki, who decimated Ragini Vimal 6-1, 6-0 in the first qualifier.

Elsewhere, Tara Iyer won her match against compatriot Isha Lakhani 6-4, 6-2, while Rushmi Chakravarthi got the better of Sonal Phadke 6-4, 6-4. Sandhya Nagrajan got the better of compatriot Archana Venkatraman 6-3, 6-2.

The other two qualifiers to win their matches today are Chia-Jung Chuang of Taipei who defeated Parul Goswami 6-2,6-1 and Indonesian Sandy Gumulya who defeated Jennifer Elie 7/5, 6/2.

In the last match of the day Iroda Tulyaganova of Uzbekistan got the better of Meghha Vakaria of India 6-1, 6-0, UNI BA AY DH PM1857