Prerna Bhambri clinches maiden ITF women’s title
June 25th, 2011 - 3:48 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, June 25 (IANS) India’s Prerna Bhambri clinched her maiden ITF women’s title with an emphatic 6-2, 6-3 victory over top seed Keren Shlomo of Israel in the $10,000 tournament at the DLTA complex here Saturday.
The 18-year-old, who in the past had made four ITF semifinal appearances, outclassed Shlomo, a champion here a few weeks ago, with her blistering grounstrokes and solid serves in mere 56 minutes.
The Delhi girl had looked a bit subdued in her semifinal match against Desiree Bastianon but successfully went for the lines against Shlomo, often leaving her flat-footed. The Israeli struggled with her serve, committing quite a few double faults, to add to her mounting errors.
The Indian took a 4-1 lead in both the sets and before long was serving out for the match. She had to fight Shlomo’s aggression and her own nerves but closed it out on her third match point when the Israeli hit a forehand long.
Watched by parents, grandparents and brother Prateek, a beaming Prerna said she played her best match in the tournament.
“It was my first final after four semifinals, so I was very happy to be here. I think I played my best match in the tournament. It was very special winning the title in front of my family,” Prerna, a student of BA programm in the Jesus and Mary College, said.
“I made a lot of unforced errors in the semifinals but today I was able to keep them under check and went for the lines. My coach (Aditya Sachdeva) told me to play my game and I did just that.”
- Prerna to meet Shlomo in ITF women's final - Jun 24, 2011
- Prerna bows out of Delhi ITF - May 13, 2011
- Prerna, Ratnika in ITF semis - Jun 23, 2011
- Kinoshita not so lucky in the final against Shlomo - May 14, 2011
- Indian challenge over with Prerna losing tamely - Jun 17, 2011
- Rutuja in ITF women's quarterfinals - Jun 22, 2011
- Rushmi shocked, Ratnika rallies to beat Ashvarya in ITF tourney - Jun 21, 2011
- Prerna continues to come through three-setters - May 12, 2011
- Yuki Bhambri and Rutuja Bhosale are new national tennis champions - Oct 15, 2011
- China's Yang wins her first ITF singles title - Jun 18, 2011
- Prerna upsets Rushmi in Delhi ITF - May 10, 2011
- Rutuja beats Ratnika to enter ITF tournament quarters - Jun 15, 2011
- Prerna lone Indian in ITF semifinals - Jun 16, 2011
- Sanaa, Rushmi reach ITF tournament semi-finals - Sep 17, 2009
- Ratnika upsets fifth seed Scimone in ITF tournament - Jun 14, 2011
Tags: aggression, champion, clinches, double faults, forehand, grandparents, India, israel, itf women, jesus and mary, jesus and mary college, match point, nerves, New Delhi, parents, semifinal match, shlomo, unforced errors, victory, winning the title