She broke Isha in the first game of the second set to take a 3-0 lead, only to drop her serve in the fifth game. Sheethal then broke Isha in the tenth game, when the latter hit a forehand long, to make it a set apiece.

Isha got off to a solid start in the third set, breaking Sheethal in the first game. But Isha squandered the advantage by dropping her serve in the fourth game, hitting a backhand crosscourt wide, and again in the sixth game when her forehand sailed long. Anger got the better of her as she slammed her racquet several times to vent out her frustration.

Isha, though, had a slim chance to even out things when Sheethal was down two break points in the next game but that was not to be. She was then broken at love in the eighth game to give the set and match to Sheethal.

'I really needed that win,' Sheethal said. 'I cut down on my errors in the second set and just kept up with her.'