Nozomi Okuhara survives Ashmita Chaliha scare to win French Open quarterfinal in three games

Ashmita Chaliha lost her quarters clash at the French Open. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Nozomi Okuhara of Japan edged past India’s Ashmita Chaliha in a gripping three-game contest, 21-10, 17-21, 21-16, but the young Indian won plenty of admirers with her fearless display.

Okuhara sprinted to a 5-1 lead and carried an 11-6 advantage into the interval. The Japanese star kept up the pressure after the break, sealing the opener 21-10 with ease.

The second game, however, was a different story. Ashmita matched Okuhara at 4-4 and then raised her intensity, using rapid rallies and a superb net game to race to the interval with an 11-5 lead. Okuhara bounced back after the break, showing her class to draw level at 15-15 after a fierce rally that tested the agility and athleticism of both players. At 16-16, though, Ashmita pulled away again and, with Okuhara’s errors proving costly, closed out a 21-17 win to force a decider.

The Indian made the better start in the decider, moving to a 4-2 lead. Okuhara, never one to give up easily, hit back to make it 7-4, but Ashmita refused to let her get away and pulled level at 9-9. Okuhara edged ahead 11-9 at the interval, only for Ashmita to turn up the heat once more and level at 12-12 and 14-14. The effort finally took its toll, and errors crept into her game in the closing stretch. Okuhara surged to 20-16, earning four match points, and converted the first to seal the match.

Earlier in the tournament, the 27-year-old Assamese, ranked World No 36, had upset the triple world champion 21-19, 21-18 in the pre-quarterfinals of the French Open, reaching her first Last 8 of a Super 750.