Hiroko Kuwata, Tereza Mihalikova win the hard way in Muzaffarnagar

Top seed Hiroko Kuwata was pushed hard by the Asian Games gold medallist Aldila Sutjiadi of Indonesia, but the Japanese hit the ball better at the crunch to wriggle out to a 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-4 victory in the quarterfinals of the Bhavna Swarup $25,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament on the grass courts of the Services Club in Muzaffarnagar on Thursday.

The 23-year-old Aldila, who had won the Asian Games mixed doubles gold with Christopher Rungkat, did very well to win the second set, in which she led 5-3 at one stage. Kuwata saved a setpoint in the tenth game and survived three breakpoints in the 11th before the Indonesian asserted herself in the tie-break.

In the decider, however, Kuwata broke serve in the ninth game and served out.

In the semifinals, Kuwata will face Natalija Kosstic of Serbia who eased past Sarah-Rebecca Sekulic of Germany for the loss of four games.

Tereza Mihalikova of Slovakia survived two match points on way to a thrilling 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-3 victory over Aleksandrina Naydenova of Bulgaria. At 6-4, 5-3, the tall and big-serving Naydenova failed to serve out the match, despite holding a match point. Tereza converted the fifth breakpoint to stay in the contest. The Slovak saved another match point at 5-6 in the tie-break, and turned the match on its head with a break of serve in the fourth game of the decider.

Tereza will face second seed Nastja Kolar of Slovenia in the semifinals.

In the doubles, national championship finalist Natasha Palha made the semifinals in partnership with Anna Makhorkina of Russia.

The results:

Singles (quarterfinals): Hiroko Kuwata (Jpn) bt Aldila Sutjiadi (Ina) 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-4; Natalija Kostic (Srb) bt Sarah-Rebecca Sekulic (Ger) 6-3, 6-1; Tereza Mihalikova (Svk) bt Aleksandrina Naydenova (Bul) 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-3; Nastja Kolar (Slo) bt Kyoka Okamura (Jpn) 6-4, 6-3.

Doubles (quarterfinals): Natalija Kostic (Srb) & Tereza Mihalikova (Svk) bt Aleksandrina Naydenova (Bul) & Sarah-Rebecca Sekulic (Ger) 6-4, 6-2; Aldila Sutjiadi (Ina) & Dan Ni Wang (Chn) bt Nidhi Chilumula & Ashmitha Easwaramurthi 6-2, 6-1; Kyoka Okamura & Michika Ozeki (Jpn) bt Zeel Desai & Natalia Siedliska (Ger) 6-2, 6-1; Anna Makhorkina (Rus) & Natasha Palha bt Nastja Kolar (Slo) & Alexandra Riley (US) 7-6(2), 3-6, [10-6].