News

Chandan Shivaraj stunned top seed Sehaj Singh Pawar to set up a title clash with Aradhya Kshitij in the boy’s section of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior 2023 J30 Bengaluru tournament.

In the match held at the show courts of Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA), here on Friday (September 8), Chandan came back fighting after losing the first set to tame down his opponent 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

With a current ITF rank of 1143, the odds were heavily stacked against Chandan, who was taking on Sehaj, who is ranked 670 places above him in the ITF World Junior Tour and had not dropped a single set till now in the J30 (Under-18) tournament.

And as Sehaj took the first set, it looked as though it was business as usual. But in a sudden reversal of fortunes, it was Chandan who started dictating terms in the second set. The fact that Sehaj had problems with the string of his racquet did not help his cause either.

Chandan went on to win the second set 6-3 and it all boiled down to the decider where he kept his cool to upset his fancied opponent.

In the final on Saturday (September 9), Chandan will take on Aradhya, who beat Kevin Titus Suresh 6-2, 1-6, 7-5 in the other last-four encounter.

The winner will take home 30 ITF ranking points while the runners-up gets 18.

Meanwhile, Karnataka’s Amodini Naik stormed into the final of the girls’ category by defeating giant-killer Saumrita Jagatdeo Verma 6-4, 6-3.

Much was expected from Saumrita after she had upset top seed Sai Janvi in the quarterfinals. But Amodini proved a tough nut to crack for Saumrita.

Both the players struggled to hold serves in the first set. Amodini, even had problems with the wind blowing strong. However, she held her nerve in crucial moments to prevail in the first set and did not allow her opponent any leeway in the second to come home triumphant.

In the final, third-seeded Amodini will take on sixth-seeded Laxmisri Dandu who sailed past Saumya Ronde 6-0, 6-4.

Semifinal Results (prefix denotes seedings)

Boys

Chandan Shivaraj bt 1-Sehaj Singh Pawar 4-6, 6-3, 7-5

Aradhya Kshitij bt Kevin Titus Suresh 6-2, 1-6, 7-5

Girls

3-Amodini Naik bt Saumrita Jagatdeo Verma 6-4, 6-3

6-Laxmisri Dandu bt Saumya Ronde 6-0, 6-4