Sriram Balaji progresses in singles

Qualifier Sriram Balaji crushed German wild card Robert Strombachs 6-1, 6-1 in the first round of the €46,600 Challenger tennis tournament in Augsburg, Germany, on Tuesday.

Balaji will play the second seeded German, Matthias Bachinger in the pre-quarterfinals.

However, Sasi Kumar Mukund went down fighting to another German wild card, 6-4, 1-6, 6-7(6) in the first round.

In the $25,000 ITF women’s event in Chiswick in England, second seed Ankita Raina bounced back from a tough start to beat Estelle Cascino of France 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 in the first round.

In the $15,000 ITF women’s event in Nairobi, top seed and two-time national champion Mahak Jain cruised into the second round with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Paulina Jastrzebska of Poland.

In the ITF men's Futures in Jakarta, Aryan Goveas and Karunuday Singh knocked out the top seeds Justin Barki and Ruan Roelofse 11-9 in the super tie-break.

The results:
€ 46,600 Challenger, Augsburg, Germany
Singles (first round): Daniel Altmaier (GER) bt Sasi Kumar Mukund 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(6); Sriram Balaji bt Robert Strombachs (GER) 6-1, 6-1.

Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Sriram Balaji & Vishnu Vardhan w.o. Aleksandre Metreveli (GEO) & Mario Vilella Martinez (ESP).

$15,000 ITF men, Jakarta, Indonesia
Singles (first round): Niki Poonacha bt Obeda Muhamad Arazza (INA) 6-2, 6-1.

Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Aryan Goveas & Karunuday Singh bt Justin Barki (INA) & Ruan Roelofse (RSA) 2-6, 6-4, [11-9]; Kunal Anand & Manish Sureshkumar bt Armando Soemarno & Giorgio Alessandro Soemarno (INA) 7-6(8), 6-2.

$25,000 ITF women, Chiswick, England
Singles (first round): Ankita Raina bt Estelle Cascino (FRA) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.

$15,000 ITF women, Nairobi, Kenya
Singles (first round): Mahak Jain bt Paulina Jastrzebska (POL) 6-0, 6-2; Sariaka Radilofe (FRA) bt Niditra Rajmohan 6-4, 6-3; Sofia Dmitrieva (RUS) bt Sravya Shivani Chilakalapudi 6-1, 6-1; Faith Nyabera Omurunga (KEN) bt Vibhasree Gowda 6-1, 3-6, 6-3; Nevena Sokovic (SRB) bt Snehal Mane 6-4, 2-6, 6-0.

Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Sathwika Sama & Saumya Vig bt Mariana Galvao Borges (BRA) & Adi Gavish (ISR) 6-2, 6-0; Deeksha Manju Prasad & Niditra Rajmohan bt Julia Konishi Camargo Silva (BRA) & Alicia Owegi (Ken) 6-2, 6-2; Tamara Barad Itzhaki (ISR) & Anfisa Danilchenko (RUS) w.o. Fatiya Shariff (KEN) & Vibhasree Gowda.

$15,000 ITF women, Tabarka, Tunisia
Singles (first round): Sowjanya Bavisetti bt Alica Rusova (SVK) 6-1, 6-1.

(Courtesy: The Hindu)