Natasha Palha battled for four hours and 32 minutes to beat Wang Xi-Yao of China 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(4) in the quarterfinals of the $10,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex here on Thursday.
On an action-packed day, Sri Vaishnavi Peddi Reddy was denied victory by a poor call — on her fifth match-point in the tie-break — as Karman Kaur pulled through in three hours and 12 minutes, winning 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(6).
Natasha fought bravely despite messing up a 6-4, 5-3 lead as the match went into a third set. Though the 20-year-old Goan could not serve out the match at 6-5 in the decider, she rose to the occasion in the tie-break.
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She took a 3-0 lead before an overhead smash gave her three match points. Natasha put a forehand long on the first, but off the second, her shot clipped the net and dropped on the other side of the court.
The results: Singles (quarterfinals): Snehadevi Reddy bt Abbie Myers (Aus) 6-3, 7-5; Natasha Palha bt Wang Xi-Yao (Chn) 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(4); Peangtarn Plipuech (Tha) bt Han Sung-Hee (Kor) 1-6, 6-3, 6-0; Karman Kaur bt Sri Vaishnavi Peddi Reddy 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(6).
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