Date:13/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/13/stories/2008091362242400.htm

Sport - Tennis

Sharon enters final

Principal Correspondent

CHENNAI: Local hope Sanjana Sharon Paul entered her maiden International Tennis Federation final with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over wild card Adnya Naik in the India Cements-ITF junior tournament at Triangle Tennis Trust here on Friday.

Sharon will meet unseeded Nimisha Mohan, who scripted a facile 6-1, 6-2 win over the second-seed Sharmada Balu.

The top seeded pair of Lakshit Sood and Mansingh Athare defeated Vedant Kapoor and S.V. Abhishek 6-3, 6-2 to claim the doubles crown.

After her title-win in the MCC junior (u-14) Nationals in Chennai last month, Sharon has gained in confidence.

And that is reflected in her attitude on court.

Her opponent, Adnya, even though a wild card, was no greenhorn.

She had won an ITF junior tournament in July 2005 on debut as a 14-year-old. Playing after a gap of seven months,

Lapse in concentration

Adnya was dominating the exchanges and soon she was serving for the first set at 5-3 when she “lost concentration”.

Ever a trier, Sharon broke her in the ninth game and again in the 11th which seem to upset Adnya’s game altogether.

Six double faults in total in the second set, inclusive of two each in the crucial seventh and ninth games on her serve didn’t help Adnya at all.

Nimisha Mohan’s progress has been quiet and rather subdued.

Her performance here has been beyond expectations.

After her upset victory over third seed Prerna Bhambri in the quarterfinals, Nimisha continued with her giant-killing run with an authoritative victory over Sharmada.

Nimisha rallied patiently and she rarely let opportunities go.

Muddappa put it across second seed S.V. Abhishek 6-3, 7-5 in the boys’ semifinals.

With the first set in his kitty, Muddappa was in the driver’s seat leading 5-1 in the second. Abhishek won four games in a row to equalise at 5-each.

Muddappa, however, broke Abhishek in the 11th game and convincingly won the next to enter the final. Muddappa will meet Saurabh Singh for the ITF title.

The results (semifinals, all Indians):

Boys: A. Muddappa bt S.V. Abhishek 6-3, 7-5; Saurabh Singh bt Shahbaaz Khan 6-2, 7-5. Doubles: Lakshit Sood & Mansingh Athare bt Vedant Kapoor & S.V. Abhishek 6-3, 6-2.

Girls: Nimisha Mohan bt Sharmada Balu 6-1, 6-2; Sanjana Sharon Paul bt Adnya Naik 7-5, 6-3.