Top seed Param Pun enjoyed an easy outing against Jagdeep Bajwa to cruise into the last-eight round of the boys’ under-16 singles section of the ongoing AITA Super Series tennis tournament at the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association (CLTA) complex in Sector 10, here on Tuesday.
Pun took the first set 6-3, and displayed a more disciplined game to win the second set 6-1.
Meanwhile, Vikrant Dahiya, second seed and a trainee of CLTA’s rural tennis programme ‘CHART’, also got the better of another CLTA trainee Rishabh Sharda in straight sets. Dahiya won 6-1, 6-0.
In the other under-16 encounters, Arnav Bhardwaj overcame Sanket Tomar’s late charge to register a 6-0, 7-5 win, while Sumit Pal Singh ended the challenge of Rohit Kumar 6-1, 6-3. Also, Paras Dahiya beat Anav Vadhera 6-2, 6-4, Nihit Rawal defeated Siddharth Bedekar 6-0, 6-4, and Digvijay Pratap Singh ousted Vaibhav Kundu 6-1, 6-1, to ease into the next round.
On the other hand, Shubham Malhotra had a hard time downing Naithaolin Golmei in a contest that
almost went down the wire.
In the first set, Malhotra and Golmei matched shot for shot. As a result, the two players were tied 6-6 after 12th game. In the tiebreaker, Malhotra held his nerves to collect the required seven points, against Golmei’s three points, to clinch the first set 7-6 (3). The second set proved to be a cakewalk for Malhotra, who won 6-3, to register straight set victory.
{{/usCountry}}In the first set, Malhotra and Golmei matched shot for shot. As a result, the two players were tied 6-6 after 12th game. In the tiebreaker, Malhotra held his nerves to collect the required seven points, against Golmei’s three points, to clinch the first set 7-6 (3). The second set proved to be a cakewalk for Malhotra, who won 6-3, to register straight set victory.
{{/usCountry}}In the corresponding under-12 section, CHART trainee Naresh Badgujar fell to top seed Dev Javia 3-6, 3-6 in a one-sided affair, while Badgujar’s fellow trainees, unseeded Bhupender Dahiya and Krishan Hooda made it to the next rounds albeit contrasting wins.
While Dahiya thrashed Sandesh Kantimahanti 6-4, 6-0, Hooda held off Jaishvin Sidana to register a hard-fought 6-3, 7-6 (3) win.
In other encounters, Asav Kumar got the better of Ashray Gupta 7-6(1), 6-0, and Neel Garud brought down Sidharth Goel 6-0, 6-0 to enter the U-12 quarterfinals.
Others who made it to the next round included Shrut Mohan Nagreta, Mahesh Mohapatra and Divesh Gahlot.
In the girls’ singles event, Shreya Gulia beat Amreen Sidhu 6-2, 6-0, while Tanisha Kashyap outplayed Ishita Singh 6-1, 6-0 to enter the under-12 quarterfinals.
In the same section, Kiran Kalkal ousted Rahat Mangat 6-4, 6-1, and Alisha Menon beat Riya Uboveja 6-2, 6-0. Mushrath Shaik, Sanya Singh, Gauri Bhagia and Mubashira Sheik were among others who entered last eight.
In the corresponding under16 section, Aarushi Kakkar, Aesha Patel, Neeru, Shreya Gulia, Seerat Pannu, Ur mi Pandya, Seerat Sidhu and Tanisha Kashyap won their respective matches to enter the quarterfinals.