Sanaa Bhambri / Ankita Bhambri (IND) - Radhika Tulpule (IND) / Birgit Ritschka (AUT) 6:2 6:2

My original Sports India.com onsite notes:

This one will be a very short report, nothing really special to talk about - as Ankita and Sanaa were just too strong for BR and Radhika, who joined for the first time. And that's how the match started alike: with a clean sweep game - bad luck for Radhika that is was a four-point-in-a-row one by the Bhambris against her serve - so ABSB lead at own serve. Ankita struggled with her serve and was 15-40 behind after the score was 15-15. Ankita finished this game off by a double fault during the first break point, so the score was tied again - 1:1. BR and Radhika did quite well together, especially regarding that this was their debut match - and so they won the third game after they wasted two points at 40-15, saved a break point and needed four Ad ins to win it. Therefor, they did it with style by a beautiful volley shot by Radhika. Let me sum up the next two points with "double clean sweep": first, Sanaa won her serve to love, then Radhika lost her one without getting a single points. The Bhambris were back in the lead - 3:2 at own serve - and improved steadily, which made them win the next three games and the set with a 6-2 score. Though Ankita and Sanaa were just too strong for BRRT, you could really see and feel how the Indian-Austrian team enjoyed themselves on court. Not for the first time in this tournament, the main actor of the second out turned out to be the chair umpire giving wrong calls at least once per game. Sometimes, the players just laughed at the decisions, but mostly they really struggled with that guy. The first important wrong call was against Birgit's serve, who was to serve and faced a break point (the second one), in the first game. Bad luck, BRRT got broken because of this wrong one. Ankia did not have any serious problems with her serve and Radhika won her one after facing a break point. So, Sanaa served at 2:1 for the Bhambris - and again, it was quite easy for her: 3:1. Birgit was broken afterwards, after Sanaa just could not stand laughing loudly on an umpire's call. The match was now far away from being even-strengthed. At least, Radhika saved her serve (of course, by a wrong call...) in the seventh game, so that Sanaa was to finish off the match at 5:2. Radhika and Birgit were even able to have a break point at 30-40, but they failed to win that one and lost 2:6 2:6. Of course, the Bhambri were the much better team in this match, in which the worst part of the match sat on the umpire chair. Nevertheless, it was great to see Radhika and Birgit enjoying themselves.