NECC ITF 2008 FINALS

China's Jing Jing Lu lifts $25,000 NECC-ITF Women's Tennis Championships

Pune, November 15 : Eighth seeded Jing Jing Lu of China outplayed top seeded Melanie South of Britain in straight sets to lift the $25,000 NECC- ITF women's tennis Championships sponsored by the National Egg Coordination committee (NECC) being organized by the Deccan Gymkhana and being played on their courts here.

In the finals played today the 19 year old and 245th ranked Chinese Jing Jing Lu played solid all round tennis to outplay the strongly built and world ranked 116th British player Melanie South 6-3, 6-1 in a match lasting 1hr and 10 mins.

A top 10 Chinese player Jing Jing Lu won her maiden title winning 25 WTA points and top prize of $2940 (Rs.1,44,000) for her effort .

Jing Jing Lu looked more confident of the two players from the word go in the very first game she came from being 15-40 down on her serve to win the game , both players traded serve in the 5th and 6th games to level scores to 3-3 , Lu broke the tall and hard serving south in the eighth game to go up 5-3, she then held her serve in the 9th game to win the first set 6-3.

In the second set Lu broke South in the very first game and again in the 3rd game to race to a 4-0 lead, but South managed to hold her serve in the 5th game. Lu played in the zone timing the ball sweetly and moving South all over the court, Luck also seemed to be in favour Lu as she got five net chords which disturbed South even more.

Lu held her serve to go up 5-1 and then break Melanie South again in the 7th game to record a fantastic victory watched by a huge turnout.

"I'm very happy to win here and it's my first ITF victory in two years", said the 19 year Lu. "This win has given me tremendous confidence and I hope to do well in the coming year and hope to get into the top 200 bracket by end of the next year.

"I'm disappointed that I lost, but Lu played amazing tennis , and chased every ball and came out with unbelievable winners , said South. South received 17 points and prize money of $1666 (Rs 80,000) for her effort.

The prizes were given away at the hands of Chess Women's Grand Master Soumya Swaminathan . Tournament Director Anand Tulpule welcomed the guests, while organizing secretary Nitin Joshi proposed the vote of thanks.

Following are the results. (Finals)

S.8 Jing Jing Lu (Chn) bt S.1 Melanie South (Gbr) 6-3,6-1

For more pictures from the finals click on the link below

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24086292@N05/sets/72157609117675423/

NECC ITF 2008 Day 5

Europe's South to take on Asia's Lu in finals of $25,000 NECC-ITF
Women's Tennis
Chang-Hwang Lift doubles title

Pune, November 14: Top seeded Melanie South will take on eighth seeded Jing Jing Lu of China in the finals of the $25,000 NECC- ITF women's tennis Championships sponsored by the National Egg Coordination committee (NECC) being organized by the Deccan Gymkhana
and being played on their courts here. In the semifinals played today the strongly built world ranked 116th British put out fourth seeded Ksenia Plakina of Krgystan 6-4, 6-4 in 1
hr 13 mins , while the 245th ranked Chinese Lu Jing Jing stopped the winning run of Serbian qualifier Bojana Jovanovski 7-5,6-3 in a 1 hr 27 minute battle .

The second seeded Chinese Taipei pair of Kai-Chen Chang / I Hsuan Hwang scraped past the pair of Romanian Elora Dabija and Serbian Bojana Jovanovski 5-7, 6-2, 10-7 to lift the doubles crown.

The strongly built British player South who expects to be in the top 100 in the world by the year end dominated the game from the start and broke Palkina in the 4th game in the first set and then served well to take the set 6-4

In the second set such was South's domination that she broke Palkina in the 2nd game, she also won the 1st and 3rd games on love to race to a 3-0 lead. Palkina tried to claw her way back into the match but South didn't give her many opportunities.

South who lost her serve in the 9th game to give Plakina a ray of hope of leveling the game scores , but in the 10th two brilliant forehand down the line winners saw South break Palkina immediately in the 10th game and wrap up the match."I didn't play my game today , said a
dejected Palkina , who won two $25,000 events this year.

The Serbian qualifier Bojana Jovaovaski who impressed a huge turnout over the week was stopped by eighth seeded Jing Jing Lu of China. Jing Lu who timed the ball fluently through the week broke Bojana in the 12th game of the first set to take the set 7-5 in a 40 minute tussle.

In the second set Lu got a decisive break against Bojana in the 6th game to win the set 6-3 and make it to the third $25,000 event final.

In a well contested doubles event second seeded Chinese Taipei pair of Kai-Chen Chang / I Hsuan Hwang scraped past the pair of Romanian Elora Dabija and Serbian Bojana Jovanovski 5-7,6-2,10-7 for the crown, the winner got 25WTA points and $1176 for their efforts, while the
runners-up got 19 WTA points and $686 for their efforts.

The tournament director Anand Tulpule and Organizing Secretary Nitin Joshi gave away the prizes

Following are the results.

(Semi finals)

S.1 Melanie South (Gbr) bt S.4. Ksenia Palkina (Kgz) 6-4,6-4
S.8 Jing Jing Lu (Chn) bt Bojana Jovanosvski (Srb) 7-5,6-3

Doubles (Finals)

Kai-Chen Chang/ I Hsuan Hwang (Tpe) bt Elora Dabija(Rou) /Bojana Jovanovski (Srb)
5-7,6-2,10-7

For more pictures from day 5 click on this link http://www.flickr.com/photos/24086292@N05/sets/72157609105791950/

Mukund Joshi

NECC ITF 2008 Day 4

South Stops Sahoo, to enter semis of $25,000 NECC-ITF Women's Tennis

Pune, November 13: Top seeded Melanie South Qualifier stopped the winning run of the lone Indian player Shalini Sahoo to enter the semifinal , of the $25,000 NECC- ITF women's tennis Championships sponsored by the National Egg Coordination committee (NECC) being organized by the Deccan Gymkhana and being played on their courts here.

In the quarterfinals played today the strongly built world ranked 116th British player South easily outplayed Sahoo 6-2, 6-2 in a 1hr 1min match. South will now take on fourth seeded Ksenia Palkina of Kyrgyzstan.

Palkina ranked 220th easily accounted for sixth seeded Kai-Chen Chang of Taipei 6-3, 6-4. Qualifier Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia continued with a fabulous run in the event outwitting I Hsuan Hwang of Taipei 6-2, 6-2 to make it to the last four from the bottom half.

Bojana will take on eighth seeded Jing Jing Lu of China. Jing Lu had an easy outing as second seeded 192 ranked Ye-Ra Lee of Korea conceded her match due to fever after being down 5-2 in the first set.

Sahoo who evolved a lot of interest with her performance, started well winning 2 games in a row, but South played solidly to outplay Sahoo to win six games in row to win the set 6-2. In the second set Sahoo was broken in the 1st and 3rd games to let South walk off with the match.
"I tried to play my best, but was beaten by the speed and pace of South", Sahoo admitted after the match. It was the first time I was playing a high ranked player and it was truly a great experience for me " I've got a feel of what top class tennis is , said the qualifier .

"I owe my performance to my father B.C Sahoo who has supported me all along and want to continue my form in future, she said. Shalini however had the consolation of getting 8 WTA points and $686 (Rs. 25,000) for her effort.

Melanie South praised Sahoo's effort, saying she played well, but probably overwhelmed with the occasion. I'm playing well said South who plays at the British National Training centre at Roehampton.
"I'm looking at taking a title here, which will be the third of the year, she said.
Elora Dabija(Rou) /Bojana Jovanovski (Srb) will take on the Chinese Taipei pair of Kai-Chen Chang/ I Hsuan Hwang in the doubles finals.

In the doubles semi- final the pair Dabija and Jovanovski scraped past the pair of Julia Parasyuk(Rus) and Korina Perkovic(Ger) 3-6,6-1,10-4 , while the Chinese Taipei pair of Chang and Hwang (Tpe) defeated Jade Curtis / Emily Webley Smith of Great Britain 6-4,6-2



Following are the results. (Quarter finals)
S.1 Melanie South (Gbr) bt Shalini Sahoo(Ind) 6-2,6-2
S.4. Ksenia Palkina (Kgz) bt S.6 Kai-Chen Chang (Tpe) 6-3, 6-4
Bojana Jovanosvski (Srb) bt I-Hsuan Hwang (Tpe) 6-2, 6-2
S.8 Jing Jing Lu (Chn) bt S.2 Ye Ra Lee (Kor) 5-2(retd)

Doubles (Semifinals)
Elora Dabija(Rou) / Bojana Jovanovski (Srb) bt
Julia Parasyuk(Rus) / Korina Perkovic(Ger) 3-6,6-1,10-4

Kai-Chen Chang/ I Hsuan Hwang (Tpe) bt
Jade Curtis / Emily Webley Smith (Gbr) 6-4, 6-2

Images from Day 4

For more images click on the link below

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24086292@N05/tags/2008/

Mukund Joshi

NECC DAY 3

Sahoo enters quarterfinals at $25,000 NECC-ITF Women's Tennis

Pune, November 12: Qualifier and little known Shalini Sahoo of India kept the Indian flag flying high and continuing her fabulous run knocking out Uzbekistan wildcard entrant Alexendra Kolesnichenko in straight sets , to enter the quarterfinals at the $25,000 NECC- ITF women's tennis Championships sponsored by the National Egg Coordination committee (NECC) being organized by the Deccan Gymkhana and being played on their courts here.
In the second round match the Delhi player Shalini Sahoo outplayed the 662 ranked Kolesnichenko 6-3,6-2 in a 1hr .15 min match to make it to her first ever singles quarterfinal in her career. Shalini broke the Uzbeki junior in the 8th game to wrap the first set at 6-3, in the second set Shalini hit an array of winners and broke Alexandra in the 3rd and 5th games and establish her control over the match.
" I'm thrilled the way I'm playing and frankly didn't expect to go so far she said, after the match.
"I was thinking of withdrawing from the event as I had reached the doubles final at Muzzafarnagar last week and wasn't sure of reaching Pune on time for the singles sign-in , but I took a chance and I'm happy to have taken the decision , Sahoo said.
Top seed and 116th ranked Melanie South played attacking tennis to put out Ankita Bhambri 6-2,7-5 in 1 hr .19 mins , while 245th ranked Jing Jing Lu ended the challenge of other Indian and 292 ranked Isha Lakhani 6-3,7-5 to make it to the last eight. Second ranked 192nd ranked Ye-Ra Lee of Korea also moved into the quarterfinals with a7-5,6-4 win over Thialnd's Suchanan Viratprasert.
Fourth seeded Ksenia Palkina was the only seeded player to go through a harrowing time before overcoming Leonie Mekel of Nederlands 6-1, 3-6, 6-1.
Serbian qualifier Bojana Jovanosvski, sixth seeded Kai-Chen Chang of Taipei along with her country mate I-Hsuan Hwang also made it to the last eight.
The Indian challenge also ended in the doubles as the teams of Rushmi Chakravarthy /Ankita Bhambri and Parija maloo and Poojashree Venkatesha were ousted in the quarterfinals.

Following are the results. (2nd Round)
S.1 Melanie South (Gbr) bt Ankita Bhambri (Ind) 6-2, 7-5
Shalini Sahoo(Ind) bt Alexandra Kolesnichenko (Uzb) 6-3,6-2
S.4. Ksenia Palkina (Kgz) bt Leonie Mekel(Ned) 6-1, 3-6, 6-1
S.6 Kai-Chen Chang (Tpe) bt Korina Perkovic(Ger) 6-2,6-3
I-Hsuan Hwang(Tpe) bt Natasha Khan (Gbr) 6-2,6-3
Bojana Jovanosvski (Srb) bt Patrycja Sanduska(Pol) 6-4,6-1
Jing Jing lu (Chn) bt Isha Lakhani (Ind) 6-3,7-5
S.2 Ye Ra Lee (Kor) bt Suchanan Viratprasert (Tha) 7-5,6-4


Doubles (Quarter finals)

Elora Dabija(Rou) /Bojana Jovanovski (Srb) bt Jade Windley / Natasha
Khan (Gbr) 6-4,6-0
Julia Parasyuk(rus) / Korina Perkovic(Ger) bt Parija Maloo/
Poojashree Venkatesha(Ind) 6-4,6-0
Jade Curtis / Emily Webley Smith (Gbr) bt Varatchaya Wongteanchai
(tha) / Jing Jing Lu (Chn) 7-6(8-6),4-6,11-9
Kai-Chen Chang/ I HsuanHwang (Tpe) bt Ankita Bhambri/ Rushmi
Chakravarthy(Ind) 6-4,6-4

Images from Day 3

Images from Day 3