Shruti Dhawan bites the dust

Even as the sting was taken out of the Indian challenge, with top-seed Sai Jayalakshmi crashing out in the first round on Monday, another favourite -- Japan's Keiko Tameshi -- bowed out of the tournament, conceding the match 7-6(7-5), 4-2 after losing the first set to lower ranked Geeta Manohar of India, in the US $ 10,000 International Tennis Federation women's championship at the Madras Gymkhana clay courts on Tuesday.

The Japanese girl, ranked 607 was one of the favourites along with Greece's Christina Zahariadou to clinch the title. But ater a titanic battle in the first set, which went into the tie breaker, Keiko caved in to the intense heat and humidity of Madras.

However, Christina Zhariadou, who has just returned to the circuit after a three-year lay-off due to injury, stayed on course for a place in the pre-quarters.

Christina, who had also represented her country twice in the Olympic Games, ousted Thailand's Prarivewan Ratanakrong, ranked 858, dropping just four games in the course of her 6-2, 6-2 win in straight sets.

Though luck held for a few Indian girls, it was curtains for third-seeded Shruti Dhawan, who met her match in Radhika Mandke, a qualifier, who made it to the pre-quarters, with an easy 6-4, 6-4 win.

Eighth-seed Archana Venkatraman defeated qualifier Shubha Srinivasan, daughter of former Indian cricketer T E Srinivasan 6-1, 6-0.

In the ony match which stretched to three sets, Ankita Bhambri, ranked 992, upset 907-ranked Megha Vakharia, also of India, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, trading breaks in all the sets. Bhambri lost the first set tamely, being broken in the first, third, seventh and ninth games. But she made a brilliant rally, especially in the decisive third set when she broke Megha in the third and seventh games of the second set.

Thailand's, unseeded Pichaya Laosirichon, ranked 965, survived to enter the pre-quarters, upsetting India's Marutha Devi, ranked higher at 999, 6-3, 6-3.

But another Indian, qualifier Nischella Reddy ended the run of yet another higher ranked player, beating 849th-ranked Aarthie Venkatraman 6-2, 6-1.

The results (singles first round):
Nandita Chandrasekhar bt Nandini Perumal (Ind) 6-1, 6-3.
Ankita Bhambri (Ind) bt Megha Vakharia (Ind) 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.
Radhika Mandke (Ind) bt third seed Shruthi Dhawan (Ind) 6-4, 6-4.
Geeta Manohari (Ind) bt fourth seed Keiko Tameshi (Japan) 7-6(7-5), 4-2 (conceded).
Christina Zzachariadou (Greece) bt Ratanakrong (Thailand) 6-2, 6-2.
Eighth seed Archana Venkatraman (Ind) bt Shubha Srinivasan (Ind) 6-1, 6-0.
Pichaya Laosirichon (Thailand) bt Marutha Devi (Ind) 6-3, 6-3.
Nischella Reddy (Ind) bt Aarthi Venkatraman (Ind) 6-2, 6-1.