Sahaja shocks fancied Timofeeva; Holder Semenistaja bows out

Bengaluru, Jan 23 (PTI) India's Sahaja Yamalapalli shocked fancied fourth seed Russian Maria Timofeeva to enter the quarterfinals of the ITF Women's Open here on Thursday.

The 24-year-old Hyderabadi, a world No. 315 scored a 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 victory over her world No. 134 opponent after a gritty contest that lasted two hours.

The India No. 2 will meet eighth-seeded Sara Bejlek of the Czech Republic in the round of last eight.

On the adjacent court, Bejlek was taken the distance by Kathinka von Deichmann before booking a berth in the quarters with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win.

But India No. 1 Ankita Raina came up short against top-seeded Tatjana Maria of Germany, losing in straight sets at 1-6, 3-6.

Sahaja's match was a complete contrast. It was studded with exquisite shot-making from the back of the court.

An aggressive player who likes to dictate terms from the get-go, Sahaja -- who made the semifinals of an ITF event in the first event of the season in Thailand – was unstoppable in the first and third set.

"I came back a completely different person in the third set, I let go of all the negativity of the second set," said Sahaja after the win.

Elsewhere, Linda Fruhvirtova of the Czech Republic scored a shock 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over the reigning champion and third seed Darja Semenistaja of Latvia. PTI UNG 7/21/2024 AH AH