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Balu upsets top seed Sung to enter semis

By Pti

Aurangabad, Feb 17 (PTI) Bangalore girl Sharmada Balucreated a big upset by toppling top seeded Korean Sung Hee Hanin straight sets to enter the semifinals of the USD 10,000 ITFwomen''s Futures event at the EMMTC courts, here today.

Balu pipped the 396th-ranked rival 6-3 6-4 in one hourand 28 minutes as she produced best performance of herfledgling career.

A quarter-final appearance in an ITF event in Kolkataearly this year was her best show on the circuit so far.

The 17-year-old Indian broke the Korean twice in thefirst set -- second and the eighth game -- while in the secondset she broke Han in the fifth game to secure win.

"I''m thrilled with this win. I was getting tired butchanged my game and played aggressively to finish the match, "Balu said after the match.

Balu, who has now shocked two seeded players in theevent, will take on third seed Vlada Ekshibarova ofUzbekistan.

In the other quarterfinals, Vlada, a former top-300player, showed great all round game to outplay seventh seededKanae Hisami of Japan 6-2,6-4 in one hours and 20 mins.

In the second semifinal, second seed Nicole Clerico ofItaly will clash with fourth seeded Varatchaya Wongteanchai ofThailand.

The 445th-ranked Clerico scored a 6-4,6-4 win overSlovakian sixth seeded Anja Prislan while Wongteanchai scoredthe easiest win of the day with a 6-1 6-0 scoreline overeighth seeded Ai Yamamoto of Japan.

Story first published: Friday, February 18, 2011, 11:51 [IST]
Other articles published on Feb 18, 2011