New Delhi [India], February 8 : The impressive runs of Indian challengers Sahaja Yamalapalli Rutuja Bhosale came to an end. Both Yamalapalli and Bhosale went down fighting in their pre-quarter-final matches of the Mumbai Open WTA 125K Series Tennis Championships at the Cricket Club of India courts on Thursday.
The 23-year-old Yamalapalli, a wild card entrant and ranked 336 had a chance against the 162nd-ranked 20-year-old Russian girl but blew them away and suffered a 6-1, 3-6, 5-7 defeat in close to two hours.
Bhosale, another wildcard entrant showed a lot of promise initially before losing to eighth seed Katie Volynets of America earlier in the day.
The 22-year-old American beat back a determined challenge from the 27-year-old Indian by carving out a satisfying 7-6(8), 2-6, 6-1 win in just under three hours to advance to the last eight. Volynets has now defeated a second successive Indian opponent after having beaten India No. 1 Ankita Raina in the opening round.
In the quarter-finals, Volynets will take on South Korea's Sohyun Park, who defeated Italy's Camilla Rosatello 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in a battle between two lucky losers.
Meanwhile, Russian teen sensation Alina Korneeva has withdrawn from the competition. The 16-year-old Korneeva, winner of two Grand Slam girls' singles titles, is down with a viral illness and will not take on Australian Storm Hunter in the quarter-finals.
In doubles action, India's top-ranked doubles player Prarthana Thombare and Dutch partner Arianne Hartono stormed into the doubles semi-finals. The unseeded duo scored a comfortable 6-4, 6-2 win over the Greek-Aussie combination of Sapfo Sakellaridi/Olivia Tjandramulia to set up a semi-final clash against Sohyun Park/Zhibek Kulambayeva.
In the first singles match of the day, Japanese Moyuka Uchijima also reached the last eight with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Hungary's Dalma Galfi.
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