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Two Determined Girls

Sometimes players' prospects in qualifying can seem more luck than anything else. On paper there looked to be a few quick matches on the cards today, but this one, between two rising players, both very determined, always looked like being a long, tough one. The luck of the draw, as they say.

It started pretty much as expected, with long rallies in the hot, bouncy conditions. It was Nicolette who settled the sooner, playing that bit steadier while Manuela suffered from too many errors and some loose play resulting in strokes against her.

The Italian steadied to take the second, although it was a nervous 9/7 after she saw an 8/3 lead almost slip away.

The last two were tight, but Nicolette maintained slender leads, and amid determined "come on" exclamations from both of them booked her place in the main draw.

"Is it always my fault that I end up playing long matches all the time ?! "I'm happy with the way I played, but I just didn't get into it in the first game. It's very annoying when I have to run around for an hour and a half and then lose ...

Lauren Briggs advises Fernandes

"We've only played once before but I always knew it was going to be a tough match, Manuela is a tough player and she never gives up. "It was so hot you couldn't go for anything spectacular, we were both capable of getting most things back. "So I just had to keep steady and avoid the errors, which is something I usually don't do very well!" "I'm just excited to get through, and we'll see who I get in the draw ..."

Two more for the English

The English contingent in the main draw was boosted to nine when Suzie Pierrepont and Sarah Kippax both won hard-fought matches.

Pierrepont started confidently against her training partner Jenna Gates, lost her way in the middle but finished strongly to set up another all-English clash against Alison Waters.

Kippax recovered from a poor start to beat a tiring Orla Noom in four, and she too plays another Englishwoman in fourth seed Vicky Botwright.

"She surprised me with the pace at the start, and forced me into a few errors. "I managed to compose myself, started to control the game, and at the end I think she began to get tired."

Joshna eases through

India will have a representative in the main competition after Joshna Chinappa completed a quick victory over an unwell Louise Crome.

After some early rallies it quickly became apparent that the Kiwi was suffering, and after two games decided she couldn't continue.

A doctor was called, and Louise was given an injection and some tablets before retiring back to the hotel ...

"I've been up all night being ill. I just couldn't hit the ball hard and my co-ordination had gone. I'm sure the food is ok, I had the same as everyone else, it's just that you're not used to it. It could have happened on any day but today ...

Great experience for Juniors ...

As SRFI President N Ramachandran said at the opening of the tournament, some of India's top juniors were being 'thrown in at the deep end' in the qualifying event.

In the event three of them lost in straight games, but never stopped trying and gained some valuable experience, while Dipika Pallikal, who won the Asian Under-15 Championship last month, almost pulled off a stunning upset.

The youngster swept into the lead, displaying an array of winning shots from all over the court. When Chuah took the second it looked like the tide had turned, but Dipika wasn't finished, and hit some more great winners to retake the lead.

In the fourth there were more errors than winners from the Indian racket and Chuah, finally coming to terms with her nervousness at playing a local, took control once more and this time kept it.

Triciah, Runa, Kasey and Carla - who finished the day with the quickest match, to be rewarded with a match against Rachael Grinham - will be back for tomorrow's first round proper, but somehow I don't think this is the last we'll hear of the Indian girls ...

"I really enjoyed that ... I only found out at 11 o'clock yesterday that I was playing! "We all get on really well together as a team, it was great in Singapore where I lost in the quarters. "I can't stay to watch the rest of the matches, I have to go home to Mumbai, I have some college admissions to do ..."

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