Bangalore: Wild card Prerna Bhambri, qualifiers Rishika Sunkara, Nidhi Chilmula and Ankita Raina ended up on the losing side as all four home players lost their first round matches in the QNet Open Women's Tennis Championship at the KSLTA Stadium here Monday.
Prerna, ranked 670, went down to Belgian Tamaryn Hendler (212), the top seed and winner of two $ 25000 ITF Pro titles, 3-6, 2-6.
To her credit, Prerna tested the top seed to some extent in the first set. As Hendler struggled with her first serve, Prerna, with her strong forehand, posed quite a few problems. After dropping serve in the first game, Prerna broke back as Hendler committed two double faults.
However, Hendler found her bearings to break Prerna in the seventh and went on to take the set. In the second, the Belgian played far better to win 6-2.
Qualifier Rishika flattered to deceive against Italian Nicole Clerico and lost 6-1, 3-6, 2-6, while fifth seed Tadeja Majeric of Slovakia snuffed out Ankita 7-6 (5), 6-4 and eighth seeded Melanie Klaffner of Austria made a short work of Nidhi 6-0, 6-1.
The hard-hitting Croatian teenager Dona Vekic beat Tamara Curovic of Serbia 7-5, 6-4, while the second seed Akiko Omae of Japan defeated Deniz Khazaniuk of Israel 7-5, 6-2.
The results (singles, 1st round): Ai Wen Zhu (CHN) bt Agnese Zucchini (ITA) 6-3, 6-0; Tamaryn Hendler (BEL) bt Prerna Bhambri (IND) 6-3, 6-2; Akiko Omae (JPN) bt Deniz Khazaniuk (ISR) 7-5, 6-2; Nicole Clerico (ITA) bt Rishika Sunkara (IND) 1-6, 6-3, 6-2; Donna Vekic (CRO) bt Tamara Curovic (SRB) 6-3, 7-5; Melanie Klaffner (AUT) bt Nidhi Chilumula (IND) 6-0, 6-1; Tadeja Majeric (SLO) bt Ankita Raina (IND) 7-6 (5), 6-4; Melis Sezer (TUR) bt Dalila Jakupovic (SLO) 6-1, 6-4; Anja Prislan (SLO) bt Stephanie Scimone (ITA) 7-5, 6-3.
