Date:10/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/10/stories/2007051004602000.htm

Sport - Tennis

Vinod, Srikar in finals

Special Correspondent

Mysore: The top two seeds, Vinod Gowda of Karnataka and Alla Srikar of Andhra Pradesh, will clash in both the boys' under-16 and 14 singles finals of the MTA-MTC AITA Champion Series tennis tournament at the MTC Courts here on Thursday.

In Wednesday's semifinals, both recorded impressive wins. Srikar defeated sixth-seeded Md. Ashraf of Tamil Nadu 6-2, 6-3 in the boys' u-16 singles. Ashraf came back charging with his stinging forehand and after trailing 0-4, cut the deficit to 3-4 before Srikar stepped up the pace and stopped Ashraf in his tracks and won 6-3.

Earlier in the u-14 singles, Srikar beat Statemate Acharaya Bharadwaj 6-3, 6-2.

The top-seeded Vinod raced to a 6-0, 6-0 victory over third-seeded Chirag S. Igoor of Karnataka, who was hampered by a thigh muscle pull.

In the u-14 singles, Vinod humbled third seed R. Vigneshwaran of Tamil Nadu 7-5, 6-4.

Wild card Spurthi Shivalingiah of Karnataka entered the girls' u-14 singles finals. Spurthi, after dropping the first set 0-6, came back fighting to beat her fourth-seeded rival from Andhra Pradesh V.K.C. Vishesh 6-2, 7-6(3).

Spurthi meets Alla Mrilnalini of Andhra Pradesh, who beat S. Swetha of Tamil Nadu 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the other semifinal.

In u-16 singles, Rachana R. Gowda and A.K. Padmapriya of Karnataka set up a title clash.

Top seed Rachana beat seventh-seeded Statemate L.S. Archana 6-1, 6-4, while the second-seeded A.K. Padmapriya defeated fourth seed Likitha Devraj 6-1, 2-6, 6-1.

The finals have been advanced by a day to Thursday as the organisers had scrapped the doubles events.

The results: Boys: Under-16: Singles, semifinals: Vinod Gowda (Kar) bt Chirag S. Igoor (Kar) 6-0, 6-0; Alla Srikar (AP) bt Md. Ashraf (TN) 6-2, 6-3. Quarterfinals: Chirag S. Igoor (Kar) bt Acharaya Bharadwaj (AP) 6-2, 6-1; Md. Ashraf (TN) bt Rohit Srinath (Kar) 6-3, 6-2; Alla Srikar (AP) bt S. Raghavendra (Kar) 7-6(1), 6-1.

U-14: Singles, semifinals: Vinod Gowda (Kar) bt R. Vigneshwaran (TN) 7-5, 6-4; Alla Srikar (AP) bt Acharaya Bharadwaj (AP) 6-3, 6-2. Quarterfinals: Vinod Gowda (Kar) bt S. Karan (Kar) 6-2, 6-3.

Girls: U-16: Singles, semifinals: Rachana R. Gowda (Kar) bt L.S. Archana (Kar) 6-1, 6-4; A.K. Padmapriya (Kar) bt Likitha Devraj (Kar) 6-1, 2-6, 6-1. Quarterfinals: Rachana R. Gowda (Kar) bt Likitha Shetty (Kar) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4; Likitha Devraj (Kar) bt Preeti Ujjaini (Kar) 6-4, 7-5; A.K. Padmapriya (Kar) bt Spurthi Shivalingiah (kar) 6-2, 6-3.

U-14: Singles, semifinals: Spurthi Shivalingiah (Kar) bt V.K.C. Vishesh (AP) 0-6, 6-2, 7-6(3); Alla Mrinalini (AP) bt S. Swetha (TN) 1-6, 6-3, 6-3. Quarterfinals: Spurthi Shivalingiah (Kar) bt Pooja R. Patil (Kar) 6-1, 7-5; V.K.C. Vishesh (AP) bt Surya Suresh (Kar) 6-1, 6-2.