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Vakharia stuns tops seed Phadke

Our Correspondent

Holding a psychological edge, third-seeded Megha Vakharia did well to exploit the advantage as she put out top seed city mate Sonal Phadke 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 to enter the final of the SoulKurry.com third leg of the ITF women’s Satellite tennis tournament.

The Poona Club courts, on Friday saw Megha’s steady will to win prevail over Sonal, who seemed out of sorts when it mattered most.

Fifteen-year-old Megha thus set up a final date with second seeded Archana Venkataraman, who in the first semi-final put an end to giant-killer Sheetal Goutham, seeded number seven, 6-2, 6-3.

For 17-year-old Sonal, the day began on a happy note, having passed her HSC exams. However, on court the delight failed to transpire into what could have been a memorable day for her in years to come.

She played below par in the first set and was at the receiving end even when she served, except the second game. In the second set, Megha, looked casual and Sonal, taking the opportunity, won the set and pushed it into the decider.

The decider saw not an inch spared by both. However this sequence lasted upto four games each. Silly mistakes in the ninth cost Sonal her serve and when it came to Megha's turn to serve for the match she did with style, particularly the last point - - which saw Sonal net her return, after being played deep.

After the match Megha, who reached her second seniors final from four events (which includes the present one), said that she was not nervous playing Sonal.

"Sonal was not her usual self," she added.

Earlier, Archana, a losing finalist at Indore (the first leg of the tourney), played clinical tennis to snuff out Sheetal Goutham in just over an hour. Four double-faults and stationary tennis summed up Sheetal’s best-ever performance of her career.

Results: SINGLES (Semi-finals): 2-Archana Venkataraman bt 7-Sheetal Goutham 6-2, 6-3; 3-Megha Vakharia bt 1-Sonal Phadke bt 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.