Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association: Prarthana Thombare kept Indian hopes alive as India’s No.1 doubles player along with her Dutch partner Arianne Hartono reached the doubles final at the Mumbai Open WTA 125K Series Tennis Championships here on Saturday.Maharashtra’s Thombare and Hartono showed terrific understanding and combined perfectly to record a comfortable 6-2, 6-1 win over the Kazakhstan-South Korean pairing of Zhibek Kulambayeva and Sohyun Park in the second semifinal played under floodlights at the iconic CCI courts in the event being organized by the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) and the Cricket Club of India (CCI).
In the finals, the Indo-Dutch combination will clash with second seeds Dalila Jakupovic of Slovenia and American Sabrina Santamaria. The Slovenian-American duo defeated Great Britain’s Naiktha Bains and Hungary’s Fanny Stollar 6-4, 6-1 in the other semifinal.
Earlier, sixth seed Darja Semenistaja of Latvia, and Storm Hunter of Australia, cruised into the singles final.
The 21-year-old Latvian Semenistaja, who won an ITF title in Bengaluru last month, continued her success on Indian soil with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Dutchwoman Arianne Hartono at the floodlit CCI courts on Saturday evening.
Hunter, the world’s third-ranked doubles player, upset eighth seed Katie Volynets 6-4, 7-6 in the first semi-final of the day. The 29-year-old left-hander, a Grand Slam champion in the mixed doubles format, continued her strong start to the season in singles.
Last month, she qualified and went on to reach the third round of the Australian Open women’s singles draw –- her best performance in a singles Grand Slam event. Hunter also reached the semi-finals of the women’s doubles event in Melbourne.
Sunday’s clash between the two left-handers will be the first career meeting between Semenistaja and Hunter. Both will also be playing their first singles final at the WTA $125K Series level and whoever triumphs will claim the biggest singles title of their career so far.
Results:
Singles Semifinals: [6] Darja Semenistaja (LAT) def. Arianne Hartono (NED) 7-5, 6-4; Storm Hunter (AUS) def. [8] Katie Volynets (USA) 6-4, 7-6 (4)
Doubles Semifinals: (2) Dalila Jakupovic (SLO)/ Sabrina Santamaria (USA) def. Naiktha Bains (GBR)/ Fanny Stollar (HUN) 6-4, 6-1; Arianne Hartono (NED)/ Prarthana Thombare (IND) def. Zhibek Kulambayeva (KAZ)/ Sohyun Park (KOR) 6-2, 6-1.
