New Delhi: Sunitha Rao kept alive the Indian challenge in the $ 50,000 ITF women’s tennis event by advancing to the singles quarter finals. Compatriots Ankita Bhambri and Isha Lakhani crashed out after losing their second-round matches here on Wednesday.

The seventh-seeded Sunitha regained her form to outclass Serbian Teodora Mircic 6-1, 6-3 in the second round in an hour and 13 minutes at the DLTA complex here.

National hardcourt champion Isha paid the price of playing with uncontrolled aggression to succumb to a 2-6, 4-6 loss to Hungarian Aniko Kapros.

Ankita squandered a good start to be beaten by South Africa’s Chanelle Scheepers 7-5, 3-6, 2-6 in two hours.

Isha attacked right from the word go but could not execute her plans as her powerful strokes resulted in unforced errors. Aniko, on the other hand, was calm and composed, playing accurate shots rather than trying to hit powerful strokes.

Isha began by dropping her serve and failed to hold the fifth game, handing her opponent a 4-1 lead in the first set. Next three games went on serve before Aniko won the first set.

In the second set too Isha was down 15-40 in the very first game but saved break-points and went on to win the game.