Moyuka Uchijima of Japan during the match (Express) MOYUKA UCHIJIMA of Japan entered her maiden 25k finals after edging out opponent Nigina Abduraimova of Uzbekistan on Friday. She will face Latvian player Diana Marcinkevica in the singles final of the 20th edition of the NECC Deccan $25,000 Women’s ITF Championships, at the Deccan Gymkhana courts.
In the first semi-final match, Uchijima (WTA 443), who has been at the top of her game, continued her upset spree of knocking out seeded players in the tournament. With three breakpoints, Uchijima won the first set 6-2. While the second set stirred in favour of fifth seed Abduraimova, who led 3-0 in the third game, Uchijima bounced back to reel off six games in a row and win the set, 6-3.
“It is a great feeling to be a part of the finals, especially since it is my first 25k finals. My training and practice came to fruition on the courts and I am confident about my form,” said Uchijima.
Uchijima, who is part of the Japanese Tennis Federation Team for the two weeks of the tournment in India, shared that her national coaches are pleased with her performance. “Although I do not train under them, we have been associated since I was 16. They know my game inside out and have been advising me in my stint in India. It helps in countering avoidable mistakes,” said Uchijima, who trains with Star River Professional Tennis Club, China.
In the doubles semi-finals, top-seeded pair Anna Danilina of Kazakhstan and Valeriya Strakhova of Ukraine overcame lone Indian Rutuja Bhosale and her Japanese partner Hiroko Kuwata and won the match 3-6, 6-2, (11-9). They will meet Japanese duo Funa Kozaki and Misaki Matsuda, who outsmarted Kazakhstan’s Zhibek Kulambayeva and Russian Ekaterina Yashina, winning straight sets 6-4.
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