Unseeded Zeel Desai shocks top seed Abduraimova to reach quarterfinals

Bengaluru, Nov 23 (PTI) Unseeded Indian Zeel Desai stunned top-seed Nigina Abduraimova of Uzbekistan in the pre-quarterfinals of the ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour here Thursday.

Desai won 6-4 6-4 against the fancied Uzbek to reach the quarterfinals on a day that saw four other seeded players making exit.

In a repeat of the recent Fenesta Open final, Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty toppled her doubles partner and fourth seeded Vaidehi Chaudhary 4-6 7-5 7-5 in a match that lasted two hours and 58 minutes.

Vaishnavi Adkar, also not seeded here, outplayed eighth seed Punnin Kovapitukted of Thailand 6-3 7-6 (1) to advance to the quarterfinals.

Another top player to go out was sixth seeded Jenny Duerst of Switzerland, who suffered a 3-6 4-6 loss at the hands of German Antonia Schmidt.

However, the day’s lead act was Desai. Desai and Abduraimova matched stroke for stroke as the games went with the serves for the first nine games.

After a keenly fought 10th game, the 24-year-old Indian broke Abduraimova’s serve to win the first set 6-4.

However, Abduraimova broke Desai’s serve in the fifth game of the second set and held her serve in the next to lead 4-2.

However, Desai regained her composure and won the next four games on the trot with breaks in the eighth and 10 games to seal a spot in the last eight.

Results (All Indians unless mentioned) Women’s singles (Round of 16): Shrivalli Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty beat 4-Vaidehi Chaudhari 4-6, 7-5, 7-5; 3-Rutuja Bhosale bt Pranjala Yadlapalli 6-4, 6-3; 2-Lanlana Tararudee (THA) beat Suhitha Maruru 6-1, 6-1; Antonia Schmidt (GER) beat 6-Jenny Duerst (SUI) 6-3, 6-4; Vaishnavi Adkar beat 8-Punnin Kovapitukted (THA) 6-3, 7-6 (1); Zeel Desai beat 1-Nigina Abduraimova (UZB) 6-4, 6-4; 5- Zhibek Kulambayeva (KAZ) beat Pooja Ingale 6-1 6-3; 5-Diletta Cherubini beat Anna Ureke 7-6 (2), 6-7 (7), 6-4.

Doubles (Quarterfinals): 1-Rutuja Bhosale/Zhibek Kulambayeva (KAZ) beat Pooja Ingale/Sandeepti Singh Rao 6-2, 6-0; 3- Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty/Vaidehi Chaudhari beat Kashish Bhatia/Vanshita Pathania 6-0, 6-3. PTI UNG TAP