Sonal survives a Preeti scare

By Nandakumar Marar

PUNE, APRIL 23. Sonal Phadke has missed a few heartbeats this season because of her tendency to bank on punishing strokeplay against lesser-ranked rivals, without displaying the consistency that comes with experience.

The second seed teetered on the edge against Preeti Rao, who had made the main draw as a lucky loser after Germany's Marine Mahler opted out, and faced the prospect of a straight sets first round defeat before clawing her way back with a 6-7 (8-10), 7-6 (7-5), 6-0 win in the NECC International Tennis Federation's women's championships here on Monday.

The sight of a second seed wavering between awesome and the atrocious would boost the confidence of the rivals in her path and Australia's Emily Hewson looms ahead after a 6-3, 6-2 win over unseeded Arthi Venkataraman.

``Preeti proved to be a tough opponent,'' observed Phadke after the first round workout. ``She took the pace of my game and hung in there.''

The second seed is an amazing hitter, especially off her backhand, whipping the ball over the net with a force that belies her frail frame, but her sense of adventure and aggression becomes her biggest enemy once the concentration slips, resulting in unforced errors, regardless of the status and inexperience of her opponent.

Preeti, a 16-year-old trainee at Chennai's Krishnan Tennis Centre, stunned the morning crowd by taking the first set to the tie-breaker 6-6 before winning it. Her audacious service returns winners and few forehand volleys drew gasps of surprise even as Phadke realised belatedly about the battle on her hands.

The breakthrough for the experienced second seed, who has been in pressure situations before, came in the 11th game of the second set and then helped by a double-fault from Preeti, Sonal clinched the set in the tie-breaker.

Preeti had expended all her mental and physical energies by then, and unable to overcome the disappointment of the second set loss, dropped her serve thrice in the third to bow out, but with her head held high even in defeat.

Not many lucky losers can dare dream of taking the second seed to three sets in a match lasting two hours, 14 minutes in torrid heat, leave alone coming within sight of an upset win only to be defeated by inexperience.

Eighth seed Radhika Tulpule gave unseeded Sheetal Goutham enough hopes and nightmares, committing 12 double-faults and serving 13 aces, before winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in another tie lasting almost two hours.

Great Britain's Karen Paterson, a semifinalist at Chandigarh last week, conceded her match against India's unseeded Geeta Manohar, owing to a stomach upset after being on court for 30 minutes and trailing 0-3.

Top seed Sai Jayalakshmi disposed off qualifier Samruta Sekhar 6- 4, 6-4, while Sania Mirza was the only wildcard entry to advance into the second round.

The tournament, sponsored by the National Egg Co-ordination Committee, was inaugurated by Nirupama Mankad, India's first women tennis international.

The results (first round, prefix denotes seedings, Indians unless specified): 7-Archana Venkataraman bt Mojca Mileta (Slo) 6-4, 4- 6, 6-2; 4-Rushmi Chakravarthi bt Laosirichon Pichaya (Tha) 6-2, 6-2; Radhika Mandke bt Svetlana Bozicnik (Slo) 7-5, 4- 1 (conceded); 6-Jyotsna Vasisht bt Nischela Reddy 6-2, 7-6; Isha Lakhani bt Marutha Devi 6-2, 6-2; Geeta Manohar bt Karen Paterson (GBR) 3-0 (concd); 8-Radhika Tulpule bt Sheetal Goutham 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; 2-Sonal Phadke bt Preeti Rao 6-7 (8-10), 7-6 (7-5), 6-0; Dea Sumantri (Ina) bt Veronika Ctvrtnickova (Cze) 6-3, 6-4; Emily Hewson (Aus) bt Arthi Venkataraman 6-3, 6-2; Sania Mirza bt Kamini Murugabhoopathy 6-0, 6-0; 1-Sai Jayalakshmy bt Samrita Sekar 6-4, 6-4.

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