India number three Pranjala Yadlapalli qualified for the main draw of a WTA tennis event for the first time in her fledgling career on Sunday.
Pranjala outclassed her Georgian opponent Oksana Kalashnikova in straight sets in the second and final qualifying round match of the $125,000 L&T Mumbai Open at the Cricket Club of India (CCI).
The 19-year-old mass communications under-graduate from Hyderabad, seeded third in the qualifiers aided by her ranking of 280 on the WTA circuit, needed one hour and 15 minutes to carve out a 6-4 6-3 victory over Oksana, who is ranked a distant 9,999.
Still, it was a satisfying day for the Guntur-born Pranjala as she joined her Indian compatriots India number one Ankita Raina (direct entrant) and wild cards Karman Kaur Thandi and Rutuja Bhosale in the main draw of 32.
In Sunday’s match against the left-handed Oksana, Pranjala broke the 28-year-old Georgian rival’s serve twice in the first set and four times in the second to romp home.
Meanwhile, the tournament was hit by the withdrawal of Israel’s Julia Glushko. Her place in the main draw will be taken by a lucky loser.
