Sunitha Rao kept alive the Indian challenge in the $ 50,000 ITF women's tennis event by advancing to the singles quarterfinals while compatriots Ankita Bhambri and Isha Lakhani crashed out after losing their second round matches in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Seventh-seed Sunitha regained her form to outclass Serbian Teodora Mircic 6-1, 6-3 in her second round match in one hour and 13 minutes at the DLTA Complex.
National hard-court champion Isha paid the price of playing with uncontrolled aggression to succumb to a 2-6, 4-6 loss to Hungarian Aniko Kapros, who was once a top-50 player.
Delhi girl Ankita squandered a good start to be beaten by a much higher ranked South African Chanelle Scheepers 7-5, 3-6, 2-6 in nearly two hours.
Isha attacked right from the word go but could not execute her plans as her powerful strokes resulted in unforced errors.
Aniko, on the other hand, was calm and composed, played accurate shots rather than trying to hit powerful strokes.
Isha began the match by dropping her serve and failed to hold the fifth game, handing her opponent a 4-1 lead in the first set. Next three games went on serve before writing the first set in the name of Aniko.
It was tough for the national champion in the second set too as she was down 15-40 in the very first game but saved break-points and went on to win the game.
It was a fiercely fought set as no player was able to hold her serve in the next six games. If Isha was agile on the court, Aniko was better in smashing accurate shots.
When the scores were tied 3-3, Isha failed to hold her serve in the seventh and go up despite having an advantageous 40-15 point, thanks to a double fault and unforced errors.
Aniko then did not give any chance to the Indian and was clinical, converting second of the two match points in the 10th game to advance to the quarterfinals.
"I could not execute my plans. She is an experienced player and I have to learn to keep a cool head," Isha said after her match.
Sunitha, second highest ranked Indian at 175, displayed a quality game as she regained her touch to beat Teodora.
The Indian, who overcame a bout of food poisoning, raced away with the first set in no time as she broke the Serbian thrice in the first set. She was strong in rallies and set up points beautifully.
Her fluent stroke-making continued in the second set though she was broken in the first game. She retaliated by breaking back in the next when she hit a stunning forehand winner.
Sunitha also effectively used drop-volley shots and closed the match when a Teodora forehand sailed long.
"I am building match after match. I played well today. I had beaten her earlier on clay but it was easy to beat today," Sunitha said after the match.
Sunitha next face Belarusian Ekaterina Dzehalevich, who on Wednesday stunned second seed Mathilde Johansson of France 6-3, 6-1.
Top seed Andreja Klepac of Slovenia had crashed out of the tournament after being beaten by Carmen Klaschla of Germany on Tuesday.
