Date:19/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/19/stories/2008041956131700.htm

Sport - Tennis

Ashutosh and Karan win doubles title

NEW DELHI: Ashutosh Singh and Karan Rastogi struck a fine combination in winning the doubles title in the $15,000 ITF men’s Futures tennis tournament at Taizhou, China.

The second-seeded Indian pair proved too good for the top-seeded Matthew Ebden and Brydan Klein of Australia with a 6-2, 6-3 triumph.

Karan beat Xi Jun-Chao of China 6-2, 6-4 in the quarterfinals to set up a semifinal clash against Li Zhe of China.

It was a revenge win for Karan, as Xu had earlier beaten the seventh-seeded Ashutosh for the loss of two games in the first round.

The other Indian in the draw, National champion Vishnu Vardhan went down fighting 5-7, 7-6(11), 4-6 to Li Zhe in the first round.

Harsh, Prakash beaten

Meanwhile, in the $75,000 Challenger in Busan, Korea, Harsh Mankad lost 0-6, 3-6 to the Asian Games champion, the sixth-seeded Danai Udomchoke of Thailand.

Harsh had earlier prevailed 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(3) against Guillermo Alcaide of Spain in the first round.

In the $35,000 Challenger at Mexico City, Prakash Amritraj lost 7-6(4), 4-6, 3-6 to Joshua Goodall of Britain in the pre-quarterfinals. Prakash had beaten Victor Estrella of Dominican Republic 7-5, 6-2 in the first round.

Stephen Amritraj in partnership with Mustafa Ghouse lost 3-6, 3-6 to the second-seeded Carsten Ball and Robert Smeets of Australia in the quarterfinals.

The duo had won 6-3, 7-6(3) against Roman Borvanov of the U.S. and Norikazu Sugiyama of Japan in the first round.