News

Akarsh Gaonkar sent the only seed remaining in the Boys category – Skanda Prasanna Rao out of the tournament when he beat the latter to reach the final of the Sportle AITA U-18 CS-7 National ranking Championship being held at the Topspin Tennis Academy here on Thursday.

On a day where all the semifinal matches were stretched to three sets, Akarsh was a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 winner over the fancied player and earned the right for a title bout with Rethin Pranav who also took three sets to defeat Adith Amarnath 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in the other semifinal.

In the girls section, fifth seed Sanya Masand halted the march of giant killer Soumya Ronde but not before the qualifier had given her a test of nerves, which she managed to hold and eke out a 6-1, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (8) victory. She will meet second seed Samiksha Dabas for the title who defeated challenger Athmika Chaitanya Sreenivas 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (4).

Results (Semifinals) (Seedings in pre-fix)

Boys U-18 Singles

Rethin Pranav bt Adith Amarnath 6-2, 3-6, 6-2; Akarsh V Gaonkar bt 4-Skanda Prasanna Rao 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.

Girls U-18 Singles

5-Sanya Masand bt Q-Soumya Ronde 6-1, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (8); 2-Samiksha Dabas bt Athmika Chaitanya Sreenivas 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (4)