Jia-Jing Lu of China upsets Estelle Cascino

Manama : Top seed Jia-Jing Lu of China ranked 205 won in straight sets 6-4, 6-3 against Estelle Cascino of France in the Round of 16 yesterday in the women’s singles of the ITF Futures Tennis Tournament at the Bahrain Tennis Club in Juffair.

No seeded players from either the men’s and women’s singles or doubles were ousted on a day of wind and the ever threat of rain. 

Second seed and defending champion Fatma Al Nabhani of Oman ranked 413 had a comfortable 6-2, 6-1 win over India’s Shivika Burman, while fellow Indian Prema Bhambri and third seed ranked 401 brushed aside Vivian Wolff of Germany 6-2, 6-4 and fourth seed from Kazakhstan Kamila Kerimbayeva ranked 367 easily beat Belgian Emma Janssen 6-1,6-1.

In the quarter finals of the women’s doubles, top seeds Fatma Al Nabhani and Chinese Jia-Jing Lu beat Shivika Burman of India and Eden D’Oliveira of South Africa 6-2, 6-1 and second seeds Prerna Bhambri of India and Kazakhstan’s Kamila Kerimbayeva were 7-5, 6-2 winners over American duo Alexandra Riley and Tina Tehrani.

Meanwhile, in the men’s singles Round of 16 the top seed from the Netherlands Scott Griekspoor ranked 331 fought hard to defeat American Connor Farren 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-6(3), while second seed Sam Barry from Ireland ranked 369 came from a set down to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 against American Quinton Vega.

The third seed from Germany Yannick Maden ranked 547 beat Switzerland’s Andrew Ruppli 6-3, 6-3 and fourth seed Lennert Van Der Linden from the Netherlands was a 6-0, 6-2 winner over Iranian Amirvala Madanchi.

Both men and women events conclude on Saturday and are worth $10,000 each in prize money and are being played on hard courts.

The tournament in its fifth edition is being held under the patronage of HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Charity Works and Youth Affairs, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and President of Bahrain Olympic Committee.

Event sponsors are Bahrain Duty Free, Solidarity Holding, GPIC and Bapco.

Other scores: (seeds in brackets)

Women’s Singles Round of 16: (7)Anna Kalinskaya (Rus) bt Miriana Tona (Ita) 6-2, 6-0, (5)Katharina Lehnert (Phi) bt Chayenne Ewijk (Ned) 6-2, 6-0, (8)Vivian Heisen (Ger) bt Tanasha Khandpur (Ind) 6-1, 6-0, (6)Tereza Mihalikova (Svk) bt Kimberley Zimmermann (Bel) 6-1, 7-5.

Women’s Quarter finals: (3)Katharina Hering (Ger)/Kimberley Zimmermann (Bel) bt Estelle Cascino (Fra)/Ekaterina Korzhova (Rus) 6-3, 6-1, Anna Kallinskaya (Rus) /Tereza Mihalikova (Svk) bt Viktoria Morvayova (Svk)/Nela Platkova (Cze) 6-1, 6-0.

Men’s Singles Round of 16: 

(8)Kunal Anand (Ind) bt Aria Harajchi (Sui)  6-2 3-6 7-5, Cameron Silverman (US) bt Mateusz Terczynski (Pol) 6-3, 6-2, (5)Tallon Griekspoor (Ned) bt Joy Vigani (Ita) 6-3, 6-3, (6)Tobias Simon (Ger) bt Bernd Kossler (Aut) 6-1, 7-6(4).

Men’s Quarter finals:

(1)Scott Griekspoor (Ned)/Tallon Griekspoor (Ned) bt Mateo Faber (Cro)/Isa Mammetgulyyev (Tkm) 6-4, 6-1, Bernd Kossler (Aut)/Mateusz Terczynski (Pol) bt Sam Barry (Irl)/Ali Dawani (Brn) 6-1, 6-3, Lorenzo Frigerio (Ita)/Sasha Merzetti (Ita) bt Mohamed Abdel-Aziz (Egy)/Rashein Samuel (Ind) 4-6, 6-2, 10-7.