Dubai: Fourth seed Ushna Suhail and UAE juniors Rashid Bushaqar Al Falasi and Fatma Abbas Al Janahi were among the main casualties at the end of the second day of the Dubai ITF Juniors being played at the Dubai Tennis Stadium.
Suhail became only the second top player bowing out so early, following the first-day exit of sixth seed Christine Kallberg who had retired hurt on Monday.
Al Falasi fought in vain before going down in straight sets 4-6, 2-6 against lanky Greek opponent Markos Kalovelonis, while his teammate Al Janahi could not get the measure of Delhi girl Natalia Khaniejo losing in straight sets 6-0, 6-2 in the day's first match.
"She [Al Janahi] played well, but my strokes were a little better today," Khaniejo told Gulf News. The 17-year-old from New Delhi is using a short break at school to try and collect some points on the ITF circuit and improve her ranking on the junior circuit.
"My target is to play in as many tournaments as I can so that I can break into the top-200 at least and improve my chances of a place at the Australian Open," Khaniejo said.
The Indian now runs into second-seeded Kristina Chasovskikh after the Russian secured a convincing 6-0, 6-1 win against UAE-based Grace Kunooz Talih later in the afternoon.
The biggest winner of the day was Dutch girl, Nikki Luttikhuis, who ousted the fourth seed Ushna Suhail of Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the presence of UAE players all but wilted in the background with Marwan Al Kaissi and Kirksteen Rebuyas, the only two advancing to the next stage of the competition. While Al Kaissi defeated fellow Dubai boy Ishaan Choubal in three sets 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-1, Rebuyas just dug in before winning 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 against Germany's Till Richter.
Results:
Girls singles: Natalia Khaniejo bt Fatma Abbas Al Janahi 6-0, 6-2; Ipek Soylu bt Anastassiya Bessarab 6-2, 6-1; Hannah Nagel bt Vasilisa Aponasenko 7-5, 6-1; Nikki Luttikhuis bt Ushna Suhail 7-5, 6-2; Maria Mudrik bt Sofia Sabljarevic 6-4, 6-2; Cyrine Ben Cheikh bt Karishma Bhawnani 6-0, 6-1; Kristina Chasovskikh bt Grace Kunooz Talih 6-0, 6-1; Smriti Joon bt Maria Concepcion Bulilan 4-6, 6-2, 6-1; Despoina Vogasari bt Naglaa Gabr 6-0, 6-0; Naz Karagoz bt Gamilia Tameem 6-2, 6-0.
Boys singles: Yehia Elsallali bt Syed Zohair Raza 6-1, 6-1; Markos Kalovelonis bt Rashid Bushaqar Al Falasi 6-4, 6-2; Marwan Al Kaissi bt Ishaan Choubal 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-1; Milen Ianakiev bt Amirvala Madanchi 5-0 (retd.); Kirksteen Rebuyas bt Till Richter 6-3, 4-6, 6-2; Constantin Christ bt Saif Addas 6-2, 6-0.
