Uzbekistan's unheralded Sabina Sharipova caused a major upset in the USD 125,000 L&T Mumbai Open by rallying from a set behind to oust third seed Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium and enter the singles semi finals here today.
Sabina, ranked 196 and four inches shorter than her six-foot tall rival who is a former world no. 12 player, won the one hour, 56-minute match 3-6 6-4 6-2 to earn a shot at Slovenia's Dalila Jakupovic in the semi finals of the WTA series event tomorrow.
Jakupovic beat back the challenge of qualifier Alize Zim of France in straight sets, 6-3 6-1 in just under an hour in an earlier quarter final at the Cricket Club of Indias courts.
Sharipova easily lost the opening set against her 115th-ranked Belgian rival but picked up the threads and created a huge upset.
After winning the second set to restore parity, Sharipova traded breaks with her rival in the first two games of the decider before breaking her rivals serve in the third to go 2-1 up.
The 23-year-old Uzbek player had to save two break-points in the next game to hold her serve for a 3-1 lead and then broke Wickmeyers serve again to take a 5-2 lead.
She held her serve comfortably to come out a deserving winner against the 28-year-old Belgian who was a top-30 player for four years running between 2009 and 2012 and a semi- finalist at the US Open in 2009.
Meanwhile, India's lukewarm challenge in the doubles came to an end when Karman Thandi and Pranjala Yadlapalli went down in straight sets to second seeds Dalila Jakupovic of Slovenia and Irina Khromacheva of Russia late last night.
Results:
Singles (Quarter finals): Dalila Jakupovic (SLO) bt Q-Alize Lim (FRA) 6-3 6-1; Sabina Sharipova (UZB) bt 3-Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Doubles (quarter-finals): 2-Dalila Jakupovic (SLO)/Irina Khromacheva (RUS) bt Karman Thandi/Pranjala Yadlapalli (IND) 6-4, 6-2; 4-Julia Glushko (ISR)/Priscilla Hon (AUS) bt Junri Namigata (JPN)/Peangtarn Plipuech (THA) 7-6(5), 6-3; Q-Beatrice Gumulya (INA)/Ana Veselinovic (MNE) bt 1-Oksana Kalashnikova (GEO)/Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) 6-0, 6-1;
Victoria Rodriguez (MEX)/Bibiane Schoofs (NED) bt Eva Wacanno (NED)/Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 6-4, 7-6(4).
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