Date:30/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/30/stories/2008083057071800.htm

Sport - Tennis

Aishwarya upsets Rashmi

Sports Reporter

— Photo: R. Ragu

ON A ROLL: Aishwarya outplayed Rashmi in every department in the semifinals.

Chennai: The top seeds in the boys’ and girls’ under-18 categories were both eliminated in the semifinals on Friday, at the adidas MCC junior National tennis championships at MCC.

Maharashtra’s Ronak Manuja was ousted by sixth-seeded Kaza Vinayak Sharma of Andhra Pradesh 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-4, while Maharashtra’s Rashmi Teltumbde was taken out by fifth-seeded Aishwarya Srivatsava of Maharashtra 6-3, 6-3.

Powerful strokes

Ronak was broken in the first game of the match, and failed to hold serve again in the third game. Kaza fritted away the advantage to drop the sixth and the eighth service games, to push the first set to a tiebreak. Both players scrambled for points in the tiebreak, but Kaza’s serve held itself together even as Ronak missed a few close chances. The sixth seed’s movement was impressive, and his powerful strokes pushed Ronak into defence.

The superior quality of play was maintained in the second, despite Ronak displaying signs of fatigue.

Kaza, who had until then constructed points impressively, put in too much into his inside-out forehands in the seventh game to lose serve.

The top seed needed treatment (stomach trouble) in the decider, but carried on for Kaza to mercilessly push him around to earn the match-winning break.

Top seed Rashmi was outplayed in every department by Aishwarya. The fifth seed grew in confidence after gaining a 3-0 lead in the first set. Rashmi was denied room by persistent attack, and was undone by errors.

In the other semifinals, Abhijit Tiwari defeated Srikar Alla 6-2, 6-4, while second seed Kyra Shroff prevailed over Swetha Solanki 6-2, 6-2.

The results: Semifinals: Boys (under-18): Kaza Vinayak Sharma (AP) bt Ronak Manuja (Mah) 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-4; Abhijit Tiwari (Chg) bt Srikar Alla (AP) 6-2, 6-4. Under-14: Ronit Bishit (Del) bt Ajay Yadav (Har) 6-0, 7-5; Ramkumar Ramanathan (TN) bt Neeraj Elangovan (TN) 4-6, 6-2, 6-0.

Girls: Under-18: Aishwarya Srivatsava (Mah) bt Rashmi Teltumbde Mah 6-3, 6-3; Kyra Shroff (Mah) bt Swetha Solanki (Del) 6-2, 6-2. Under-14: Sharon S. Paul (TN) bt Sansitha Nandakumar (TN) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4; Eetee Mehta (Guj) bt Amritha Mukherjee (WB) 7-5, 2-6, 6-4.