Defending champion Y. Pranjala and three other Indian girls — Zeel Desai, Mahek Jain and Nidhi Surapaneni — won their first round main draw matches at the BVG India-MSLTA B1 ITF Asian junior tennis tournament on Tuesday.
Mahek stunned Indonesian seventh seed Rifanty Kahfiani 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 in a contest that lasted two hours, 50 minutes. Pranjala got past Japan’s Satoko Sueno 6-2, 6-2 while Zeel downed Jaan’s Himari Sato in three sets.
Nidhi got past Sravya Shivani in straight sets. The event is organised by MSLTA and PDTA.
The results: Girls (first round): Yuki Naito (Jpn) bt Shivani Amineni 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-3; Joleta Budiman (Ina) bt Jitasha Shastri 6-3, 6-0; Yang Lee (Chn) bt Humera Begum Shaik 6-0, 6-1; Y. Pranjala bt Satoko Sueno (Jpn) 6-2, 6-2; Zhima Du (Chn) bt Sathwika Sama 6-2, 6-1; Khim Iglupas (Phi) bt Srivalli Rashmika 6-0, 6-0; Nidhi Surapaneni bt Sravya Shivani 6-4, 6-1; Naho Sato (Jpn) bt Mihika Yadav 6-3, 6-3; Mahak Jain bt Rifanty Kahfiani (Ina) 1-6, 7-5, 6-4; Anri Nagata (Jpn) bt Shivani Swarup Ingle 6-2, 7-5; Xiyu Wang (Chn) bt Snehal Mane 6-0, 6-2; Zeel Desai bt Himari Sato (Jpn) 6-0, 3-6, 6-1; Mi Zhuoma You (Chn) bt Priyana Kalita 6-0, 6-1; Yanni Liu (Chn) bt Harsha Sai Challa 6-0, 6-1; Mayuka Aikawa (Jpn) bt Akanksha Bhan 6-3, 6-2. — Special Correspondent
