Rishika Sunkara qualifies
(Australian Open)

SATURDAY 23, JAN 2010.

Rishika Sunkara was the sole Indian to qualify for the Australian Open junior main draw. The 16-year-old, 132nd ranked Rishika defeated Ursa Jerman of Slovenia 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the third and final qualifying round after beating Aussies Stefani Stojic 6-1, 6-2 and Gussie O’Sullivan 6-3, 6-2 in the first two rounds.

Results (featuring Indians): Qualifying event: Boys: Second round: Bruno Semenzato (Bra) bt Sumeet Shinde 7-5, 6-2; Jaden Grinter (Nzl) bt Saurabh Singh 6-2, 7-5; Jea Moon Lee (Kor) bt Sai Kartik 7-6(4), 6-3.

First round: Sumeet Shinde bt Damian Farinola (Aus) 2-6, 7-5, 6-4; Saurabh Singh bt Andrew Zedde (Aus) 6-4, 6-3; Sai Kartik bt Matt Roso (Aus) 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Girls: Second round: Rishika Sunkara bt Stefani Stojic (Aus) 6-1, 6-2; Marianne Joddin (Can) bt Ankita Raina 6-3, 6-1; Abigail Tere-Apisah (Png) bt Natasha Palha 6-3, 6-4; Alexandra Nancarrow (Aus) bt Rashmi Teltumbe 7-5, 6-3; Elizaveta Ianchuk (Ukr) bt Prerna Bhambri 7-6(4), 6-4; Li Yun Steffanie Tan (Sin) bt Sharmada Balu 6-4, 6-4; Eri Hozumi (Jpn) bt Aishwarya Agrawal 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

First round: Rishika Sunkara bt Gussie O’Sullivan (Aus) 6-3, 6-2; Ankita Raina bt Samantha Harris (Aus) 1-6, 7-6(4), 6-0; Natasha Palha bt Sandy Vo (Aus) 6-3, 6-4; Rashmi Teltumbe bt Bernadette Massih (Aus) 5-7, 7-5, 6-4; Prerna Bhambri bt Khristina Blajkevitch (Can) 6-1, 7-6(3); Chelsea Te Tai (Nzl) bt Kyra Shroff 6-1, 7-5; Sharmada Balu bt Ashceigh Hancock (Aus) 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 6-2; Aishwarya Agrawal bt Azra Hadzic (Aus) 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-2; Ksenia Gospodinova (Rus) bt Ashvarya Shrivastava 6-3, 2-6, 6-2; Nao Tada (Jpn) bt Prarthana Thombare 6-0, 5-7, 6-4.