Indian singles challenge at CCI-ITF tourney ends

The tepid Indian challenge in the singles event of the US $10,000 CCI-ITF women's tennis tournament ended on Wednesday with the elimination of Nidhi Chilmula and Rishika Sunkara in the second round.

After the exit of six home players on Tuesday in round one, Nidhi and Rishika carried India's hopes in the tournament but crashed out, losing in straight sets to their second round opponents, at the Cricket Club of India's courts in Mumbai.

Nidhi failed to win a single game against top seed Keren Shlomo, who got past another Indian, Kyra Shroff, in three sets on Tuesday, while Rishika was beaten 6-2, 6-2 by unseeded Serbian Tamara Curovic.

Thailand's Nungnadda Wannasuk, ranked 598, caused the biggest upset of the day when she packed off third seed Agnese Zucchini of Italy, ranked 409, 6-3, 6-1 to enter the quarter-finals.

Her compatriot Varunya Wongteanchai also produced a solid performance to show the exit door to Turkey's fourth seed Melis Sezer.

The Thai player, who came through the qualifying rounds, dropped the opening set but bounced back nicely to take the subsequent sets to complete a deserving 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory.

Another Thai player to make to the last eight was fifth seed Peangtarn Plipuech, who defeated unseeded Chinese Zi Yang in three sets in another second round encounter.

Results:

Singles (2nd round): 1-Keren Shlomo (Isr) beat Nidhi Chilumula (Ind) 6-0, 6-0; 5-Peangtarn Plipuech (Tha) beat Zi Yang (Chn) 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-2; Varunya Wongteanchai (Tha) beat 4-Melis Sezer (Tur) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5; Sarah-Rebecca Sekulic (Ger) beat 6-Deniz Khazaniuk (Isr) 7-6(4), 6-4; 8-Nicole Clerico (Ita) beat Karoline Kurz (Aut) 6-4, 4-6, 7-5; Nungnadda Wannasuk (Tha) beat 3-Agnese Zucchini (Ita) 6-3, 6-1; 7-Jovana Jaksic (Srb) beat Maria Sakkari (Gre) 6-1, 1-0 (retd); Tamara Curovic (Srb) beat Rishika Sunkara (Ind) 6-2, 6-2.