Sport - Tennis

They'll have to beat the heat too

By A. Joseph Antony

VISAKHAPATNAM May 12. Qualifiers to the main draw of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Satellite tournament's third leg at the Andhra University courts here on Sunday, had not only to battle their opponents, but the elements as well.

In temperatures hovering around the forties, they had to brave the sun's scorching searchlight till the evening. By around 4 p.m., cloud cover provided a canopy, as cooling as the insides of an Arab's tent amidst desert sands. The breeze from the Bay of Bengal had become as welcome as the sheltering sky.

The newness of the entire tennis complex was as refreshing. President of the Visakhapatnam District Tennis Association and Collector, Sunil Sharma, was there till 3 a.m. the night before to personally ensure things were in order. "What's been happening are minor miracles,'' said the ITF's P.R. Raju of the Collector's efforts. The control room was equipped and air-conditioned hours before the qualifying rounds were to commence. Another official, M. Satyaranayana, a former junior national, said some time would be needed for the court surfaces to settle.

Mustafa Ghouse, after a few knocks, found them fast and hard. The Mumbai leg champ liked the way he was playing but would take it one match at a time. "The Israelis, the Spaniards and the Kirtanes won't be easy to beat,'' he felt.

Senior referee, A.R. Rao, by courtside since early morning, was as enthusiastic at the end, content perhaps at the completion of the day's fixtures. What was mostly scrub about a month ago, was cleared and in its place is an international quality tennis playing facility. High walls surround it as do trees in a predominantly green campus, so soothing to the eye as to the senses in this seat of learning.

In the years to come, the complex could well become a frequented venue of international tennis. The efforts of Collector Sunil Sharma have certainly not been in vain.

The results (qualifying round):

Singles: Sebastian Niedermayer (Ger) bt P. Pavan (Ind) 6-3, 6-4; Anant Sitaram (Ind) bt Kiran Kumar 6-3, 6-2; Ivan Syrov (Rus) bt Shreyansh Sacheti (Ind) 6-3, 6-2; Nishank Mishra (Ind) bt Kamala Kannan (Ind) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; V.M. Ranjeet (Ind) bt Elad Stern (Isr) 7-6 (7-2), 6-3; P. Ravikrishna (Ind) bt Partha Bhattacharya (Ind) 6-1, 6-1; Yasser Arafat bt Anjan Viplav (both India) 6-4, 6-4; Ashutosh Singh bt Amod Wakalkar (both Ind) 5-7, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3.

Doubles: Eliran Dooyev/Tomer Suissa (Isr) bt Partha Bhattacharya/Nishank Mishra (Ind) 6-3, 6-3; Tyrell Stevens Diaz/Adrian Rowe (Aus) bt P. Pavan/Ajai Selvaraj (Ind) 6-4, 6-2.

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