FIFTH seed Sahaja Yamlapalli and doubles pair of Shrivalli Bhamidipathy and Vaidehi Chaudari were eliminated as Indian challenge came to an end at the Maha Urja Nagpur Open ITF Women’s Championships under way at MSLTA Tennis Academy Tennis Complex, Ramnagar, on Friday. In singles quarter-final, unseeded Korean Dayeon Back ended the run of fifth seed Sahaja Yamalapalli of India. Back registered an easy 6-4, 6-1 win to advance to the last four. In other quarter-final matches of the day, runners up of Gurgaon Open Yeonwoo Ku of Korea kept her singles progress going as she outclassed Russia’s Ekaterina Yashina in straight sets 6-1,6-0. Ku will take on another Russian Daria Kudashova in the semi-final on Saturday.

 

Kudashova carved out a 6-4,6-3 win over Rinon Okuwaki of Japan. Slovenian tennis player Dalila Jakupovic, who has been seeded second in the tournament, came back from a loss of first set to record 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 win over seventh seed Miriana Tona of Italy. In the semi-finals Jakupovic will take on Back. In first doubles semi-final Korean Yeonwoo Ku and Lithuania’s Justina Mikulskyte were successful in defeating Indian pair of Shrivalli Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty and Vaidehi Chaudhari 6-2, 2-6, 10-8 in a close encounter. While in the second, Jakupovic in partnership with Irina Maria Bara of Romania recorded a 7-5,6-4 win over Yasmine Mansouri of France and Latvia’s Diana Marcinkevica to make it to the doubles final.

 

The singles semi-finals will start at 10 am and the doubles final will be played at 2 pm on Saturday. Results: Singles quarter-finals: Dayeon Back (Kor) bt Sahaja Yamalapalli (Ind) 6-4, 6-1; Yeonwoo Ku (Kor) bt Ekaterina Yashina(Rus) 6-1,6-0; Daria Kudashova (Rus) bt Rinon Okuwaki (Jpn) 6-4, 6-3; Dalila Jakupovic (Slo) bt Miriana Tona (Ita) 5-7, 6-1, 6-2. Doubles semi-final: Yeonwoo Ku (Kor)/Justina Mikulskyte (Ltu) bt Shrivalli Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty (Ind) / Vaidehi Chaudhari (Ind) 6-2, 2-6, 10-8; Irina Maria Bara (Rou)/Dalila Jakupovic (Slo) bt Yasmine Mansouri (Fra)/Diana Marcinkevica (Lat) 7-5, 6-4.