Rushmi, Megha book semi-final berths in ITF Women's tourney

Ahmedabad, Nov 2 (UNI) Top seed Rushmi Chakravarthi today crushed seventh seeded Poojashree Venkatesh in straight sets 6-1, 7-5 to reach the semi finals of the ACTF-Gujarat NRE Coke ITF Women's Circuit 2006 being played here.

It took her just 83 minutes to achieve the feat. Poojashree failed to retain any of her serves. Rushmi lost her serve in the sixth game. Rushmi was too clinical in her game to give Pooja a chance. Serving to save the set at 1-5, Poojashree blew up a 40-15 lead. She had four game points which she could not save and double faulted at set point. Pooja served three double faults while Rushmi served two.

The second set was more evenly poised. The first four games went against serves with Rushmi losing her serve in the first and third games and breaking back in the second and fourth games. Rushmi again broke Poojashree in the eighth game only to lose her serve in the ninth. Serving at 4-5 Poojashree saved a match point and took the score to 5-5. Rushmi broke Pooja in the twelfth game to clinch the match 6-1,7-5. In this set both served an ace each. The lone double fault was sent down by Rushmi.

In the other match, second seed Meghha Vakaria took 87 minutes to defeat eighth seeded Asha Nandakumar 7-5,6-4. Meghha broke Asha in the fourth game of the first set only to be broken back in the fifth. The rest of the set went with serves. Asha lost her serve in the twelfth game to lose the set 5-7.

Asha double faulted six times while Meghha double faulted thrice.

In the second set Meghha and Asha traded serves in the first two games. Asha was again broken in the tenth game. Meghha took the set at 6-4 and booked a semi final showdown with third seeded Sanaa Bhambri.

'Meanwhile, fourth seeded Parul Goswami was ousted by unseeded Madura Ranganathan in 145 minutes 6-4,4-6,6-4. The first set lasted 48 minutes. Madura broke Parul in the first game and lost her serve in the second. Parul was again broken in the fifth game despite having a lead of 40-15. Parul managed to break Madura in the eighth game but failed to retain her serve in the ninth. In the 10th game Madura serving for the set made no mistakes and took the set at 6-4. Both served two double faults each.

The second set also lasted 48 minutes. Parul again lost her serve in the opening game. The set went against serves from fourth to eighth games. In the tenth game Madura lost her service game to give the second set to Parul. In the third set Madura raced to a 5-1 lead by breaking Parul in the third and fifth games. Parul broke Madura in the eighth game. Serving for the match in the tenth game Madura took the game without conceding a point.

Madura will meet top seed Rushmi Chakravarthi in the semis tomorrow.

Third seeded Sanaa Bhambri defeated fifth seeded Tara Iyer in straight sets 7-5,6-4. Tara broke Sanaa in the fifth and seventh games while losing her serves in the eighth, tenth and twelfth games. Sixth game went into six deuces. In the set Sanaa served one ace and one double fault. Tara served two aces and two double faults. The set lasted for 65 minutes. The second set saw Bhambri get broken in the ninth game. Tara lost her serves in the fourth, eighth and tenth games. In the tenth game Tara fought back from 0-40 to deuce but could not save her serve and lost the set at 4-6.

In the doubles semi finals, Sanaa Bhambri and Rushmi Chakavarthi (1)(765) beat Sai Jayalakshmy Jayaram and Archana Venkatraman (3)(1288) 7-6(7-2),6-1. In the other match, Tara Iyer and Meghha Vakaria beat Parija Maloo&Poojashree Venkatesh (Q) 2-6,6-3,6-3.

UNI