The 16-year-old trainee at the now defunct DHAITA centre in the capital showed good temperament to overwhelm her surprisingly off-colour opponent in a match lasting one hour and 15 minutes.

Shruti displayed none of the frustration evident as she laboured to win then by keeping her cool to post her biggest victory in her nascent career and the first over her 21-year-old rival in four meetings.

The teenager, who had been a picture of consistency by making the semifinal in the first leg in Ahmedabad and the last eight in both Pune and Indore satellite legs in her very first year in the seniors, collected five WTA points with her winner's purse of $ 800 (around Rs33,900).

Winner at Pune and Indore and finalist in Ahmedabad, a disappointed Sai explained her subdued show to an upset stomach. She collected $ 500 (around Rs 21,200) and four WTA points.

Sai however had some consolation by annexing the doubles title with Rushmi Chakravarthy. The top seeds quelled the challenge from the Thai pair of Orawan Wongkamalasai and left-handed Montika Anuchan 7-6 (4), 1-6, 6-2 in the evenly fought final. The winners won $ 350 (Rs 15,800) and losers $ 200 (Rs 9,000).

Mankad ousted

KANNUR: Eighteen-year-old Vijaykannan, Indian Davis Cup reserve, breezed past his countryman Harsh Mankad in a one-sided quarter-final match of the ITF Satellite Masters international tennis tournament at the Municipal Stadium here this morning.

Vijaykannan demolished his opponent 6-1, 6-1 in under 56 minutes, en route to the semifinal to set up a clash with second-seeded Prahlad Srinath. Prahlad got a walkover from Gerhard Fahlke, who withdrew due to a shoulder injury.

Second-seededSrinath hardly broke a sweat, entering the quarter-finals after his opponent G Erhard Fahlke withdrew from the tournament due to a shoulder problem.