Shrivalli downs Zeel to claim maiden ITF Women’s World Tour Tennis title

Eye on the prize: Shrivalli’s triumph will guarantee her 50 WTA points.
| Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K

Shrivalli Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty won her maiden ITF Women’s World Tour Tennis title with a hard-fought 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 victory over compatriot Zeel Desai on the clay courts at the Bowring Institute here on Sunday.

The triumph will guarantee the 21-year-old from Hyderabad 50 WTA points and will bump her up significantly in the rankings, from 706 to a new career high.

On a crisp winter morning, Shrivalli breezed through the opening set as Desai had no answer to her power-packed game built on a huge first serve, a similarly lethal second serve and crushing groundstrokes.

However, at the first-set changeover, Desai recalibrated her game and turned the tables. The 24-year-old from Ahmedabad broke Shrivalli in the opening game and edged the second set 6-4 after a see-saw battle.

In the third, Shrivalli regained her composure and established a 3-0 lead. Desai, who had won her quarterfinal and semifinal matches over three sets, would have hoped for one last comeback, but it was not to be.

“I came into the event with zero expectations,” Shrivalli said after the win. “I did a great job by just being myself. I practise on clay in Hyderabad and had good strategies with my coach [Vishal Uppal]. I implemented them very well.”