The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Anushree claims double crown

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Sunday, Jun 06, 2004

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Sport - Tennis

Anushree claims double crown

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, JUNE 5. Anushree Thamanna of Karnataka capped her good run with a maiden title triumph in the Wearhouse-AITA ( under-18 and under-14) Championship Series which concluded here today. The fifth seeded Anushree bagged the girls under-18 singles crown with a facile 7-5,6-2 win over D. Aarthi of Tamil Nadu.

The tie began on a rousing note as both the players came up with good strokes and they ran neck and neck till 5 all.

But Aarti, who was nursing a knee injury on her right leg, soon began faltering and Anushsree broke her in the 12th game to take set. Aarti, made a game bid to stay in the match, despite her injury, but the effort proved too much and she crumbled to a quick defeat (2-6).

Later, partnering Gayathri Krishnan of Tamil Nadu, Anushree completed a fine double by winning the under-18 girls doubles title as well. In the final, which saw the Krishnan siblings, pitted against each other, Ansuhree and Gayathri beat M. Niroshita and Nandita Krishnan at 6-0,6-3.

The girls under-14 singles final was engrossing in patches, especially in the second set. The all Tamil Nadu tie saw the top seed, Shaheen Ansari stopping the promising Kelsey Sundaram at 6-2, 6-4. It was pretty easy for Shaheen, who broke her rival in the sixth and eighth games to wrap up the first set. But in the second, a determined Kelsey came up with all guns firing. She hit some strong forehand winners on the run, keeping her rival pinned back and traded breaks with Shaheen. But the the top seed, didn't lose her cool and she kept strong back hand going and cracked her rvial in the crucial ninth game and served out the set and match .

The top seed, Vinay Kamineni bagged the boys under-14 singles title, but not before surviving a scare in the decider from his AP teammate Vikram Reddy. In a see-saw baseline struggle, Vinay after dropping the first set ( 4-6) claimed the second at 6-4 and in the decider. Vikram took a 4-2 lead but Vinay who was hitting some solid ground strokes, kept his nerve and levelled at 4-all and finally won the set and match at 7-5.

The boys under-18 singles final was supposed to be main fare of the day's programme. But rain played the spoilsport just after the start. The top seed, S.Prateek led his second seeded rival, Nithyesh Natraj 2-0 with a break in the first game. The heavy downpour cried halt to the play and both Prateek and Nithyesh were decalred as joint winners.

Earlier , Prateek, partnering team mate, R.K. Praveen, won the doubles title and the Karnataka pair beat Nithyesh Natraj and Sriram Mangal of Tamil Nadu 6-3,6-4.

The results (All finals):

Boys: Under-14 singles: Vinay Kamineni (AP) bt Vikram Reddy ( AP) 4-6,6-4,7-5.

Doubles: Daniel Raj / Nikhil Kumar Reddy (AP) bt A.N.Muddppa ( Kar) / S.Sitaram (AP) 6-3,6-3.

Under-18: S.Prateek and Nithyesh Natraj- joint winners

Doubles: S. Prateek (Kar) / R.K.Praveen (Kar ) bt Nityesh Nataj (TN) / Sriram Mangal (TN) 6-3,6-4.

Girls: Under-18 singles: Anushree Thamanna ( Kar ) bt D. Aarthi (TN) 7-5, 6-2.

Doubles: Anushree Thamanna / Gayathri Krishnan ( TN) bt M.Niroshita ( AP) / Nandita Krishnan ( TN) 6-0,6-3.

Under-14 singles: Shaheen Ansari (TN) bt Kelsey Sundaram ( TN) 6-2, 6-4.

Doubles: Sai Poojtiha / Y.P.Aishwaraya ( AP) bt Lekha Chandrashekar / Prarthana Pattabhi (TN) 6-4,6-1.

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