Indian challenge in
ITF event ends

Rushmi Chakravarthi's victory march came to a halt and with it ended the Indian challenge in the $25,000 ITF women's tennis tournament in Delhi on Thursday.

The Indian national champion was shown the door by fourth seed Choi Young-Ja of Korea in the quarter-finals. She was beaten 3-6, 6-7(4).

Rushmi also lost in the doubles. She and Sai Jayalakshmi were beaten by the second seeded Korean pair of Choi Young-Ja and Euan-Ha Kim 4-6, 6-3, 6-0.

In other singles quarter-finals, fifth seed Maria Kondratieva of Russia humbled Urska Versenjak of Slovakia, conceding only four points before claiming the match at 6-4, 6-0.

Unseeded Shuai Peng of China ended Austrian giant-killer Sybillie Bammer's run, winning at 6-2, 6-0.

Completing the semi-final line-up was Eva Birnerova of the Czech Republic, who made short work of her compatriot Dominika Luzarova 6-2, 6-1.

In the other doubles semi-final, Eva Birnerova and Jana Hlavackova of the Czech Republic drubbed Shelly Stephen of the United States and Manisha Malhotra of India 6-1, 6-3 in a one-sided match.

Earlier reports:
Chakravarthi lone Indian survivor
Second seed Eun-ha Kim bites the dust
Rushmi Chakravarti justifies wild card