Qualifier Mahitha Dadi Reddy did well to come back from being a set down to defeat local favourite Sharon Sanchana Paul in three sets in the ITF tennis tournament here today.
In the first set, Mahitha seemed to have a problem with her serve and was broken thrice, while Sharon was broken only once. Sharon won the first set 6-3 on the fifth deuce point after Mahitha had saved five set points.
In the second set both players held serve till 3 all. Sharon was broken in the tense seventh game, but managed to break back immediately to level the score at 4-all. Mahitha managed to break Sharon's serve in the next game on the sixth deuce. Both players displayed excellent ground strokes during this game.
Mahida held her serve to win the set 6-4. Sharon started the third set leading 3-1, conceding only four points till then. Then on, inexplicably, Sharon became error-prone and tense to concede the next five games and allowed Mahitha to to run away with the set 6-3 and the match.
In the morning Shweta Rana outlasted qualifier Angelique Svinos of Australia winning in three sets. Ankitha Raina, the top seed, Prarthana Thombare, fourth seed, and Barbara Bonic of Serbia, the seventh seed, continued their winning ways.
