Bhambri goes down fighting in ITF Pune tennis

Kazakhstan's Kamila Kerimbayeva proved to be too good for Prerna Bhambri, the lone Indian left in the singles draw at the NECC-ITF women's $25,000 tennis event at the Deccan Gymkhana here Thursday.

The loss of Sowjanya Bavisetti-Sharmada Balu tandem in the doubles semifinals later in the afternoon meant that the Indian challenge ended in the tournament.

Three of the top four seeds made it to the singles semifinals in contrasting styles as Kerimbayeva became the only unseeded player making it to the last four.

Kerimbayeva was on top throughout her 75-minute encounter against Bhambri as she broke her Indian rival five times. Bhambri played a much better second set and, perhaps, a score-line of 6-3, 6-3 did not do justice to her fighting abilities in the second set.

Top seed Magda Linette of Poland was stretched to the limit by Japan's qualifier Rika Fujiwara. Linette ran away with the first set 6-3 and took a 4-2 lead in the second. Fujiwara, the 2009 champion, showed terrific agility to make a comeback and won the second set 7-5.

Linette, however, had too much firepower for the veteran in the decider, winning it 6-2 to book a semifinal clash against third seed Diana Marcinkevica, who beat Thailand's Nungnadda Wanasuk 6-3, 7-5 in a one hour 48 minute battle.

Italy's fourth seed Gioia Barbiery continued her smooth run in the event as she comfortably outplayed Israel's qualifier Keren Shlomo 6-2, 6-3 in little over an hour.

Results:

Singles (Quarterfinals): 1-Diana Marcinkevica bt Nungnadda Wannasuk 6-3, 7-5; Kamila Kerimbayeva bt Prerna Bhambri 6-3, 6-3; 1-Magda Linette bt Rika Fujiwara 6-3, 5-7, 6-2; 4-Gioia Barbieri bt Keren Shlomo 6-2, 6-3.

Doubles (Semifinals): 2-Nicha Lertpitaksinchai/Peangtarn Plipuech bt 3-Ksenia Palkina/Jade Windley 6-2, 6-3; Jocelyn Rae/Anna Smith bt Sharmada Balu/Sowjanya Bavisetti 6-1, 7-6(7).