Bidar, Oct 4 (IANS) Fifth seed Ankita Raina and national junior champion Prarthana Thombare scripted contrasting wins storming into the semifinals of the Ashok Kheny $10,000 ITF Bidar Open women's futures tennis championship at the Police Training School courts here Thursday.
Prarthana snuffed out the challenge of Ju Eun Kim of Korea 6-0, 6-2 while Ankita prevailed over Varunya Wongtean Chai of Thailand 6-4, 7-6(2).
Prarthana's attacks gave very little chance for Kim to settle down with the Korean struggling with her returns.
Prarthana's ground strokes helped her sail through the first set 6-0.
In the second set, she kept her momentum to take it 6-2 despite a brief resistance from her rival.
In the other match, Ankita started well against Varunya and took a 3-0 lead before the latter broke her in the seventh game (4-3) and went on to level 4-all. Ankita rallied superbly to hit back in the tenth game and won it the set 6-4.
In the second set, Ankita and Varunya traded breaks in the fourth and seventh games respectively and later Varunya took a 6-5 lead in the eleventh game.
Ankita hit back in the twelfth game and made it 6-all. Thereon the Indian took a 5-1 lead in a tie-breaker closing the set 7-2 and the match in one hour and 29 minutes.
Top Seed Wing Yau Venise Chan of Hong Kong made the last four round at the expense of India's Nidhi Chilumula 6-2, 1-6, 6-1.
In the fourth quarterfinal, Yumi Miyazaki Of Japan overcame second seed Wannasuk of Thailand 6-2, 7-5 entering the semifinals.
In the semifinals Friday, Ankita will meet Chan while Prarthana takes on Miyazaki.
Quarterfinal results:
Prarthana Thombare (IND) bt Ju Eun Kim (KOR) 6-0, 6-2; Ankita Raina (IND) bt Varunya Wongtean Chai (THA) 6-4, 7-6(2); Yumi Miyazaki (JPN) bt Nungnadda Wannasuk (THA) 6-2, 7-5; Wing Yau Venise Chan (HKG) bt Nidhi Chilumula (IND) 6-2, 1-6, 6-1.