Date:22/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/22/stories/2006082207271800.htm

Sport - Tennis

Bopanna qualifies

NEW DELHI: Rohan Bopanna qualified for the $25,000 Challenger tennis tournament at Bukhara, Uzbekistan, with a 7-6(2), 6-3 victory over Luka Gregorc of Slovenia in the third and final qualifying round on Monday.

There was more drama in the second qualifying round as Bopanna's opponent Dmitri Sitak of Russia was defaulted during the end of the third set, with the score reading 6-7(4), 6-1, 4-4 in favour of the Indian Davis Cupper.

Bopanna, who as the top seed in the qualifying event had a bye in the first round, will take on Nikolas Renovand of France in the first round of the main draw.

Karan Rastogi was the other Indian in the tournament. He has been seeded eighth and drawn to meet Tomislav Peric of Croatia in the first round.