The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Sudharshan, Likitha triumph

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 30, 2005

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Sudharshan, Likitha triumph

Special Correspondent

MYSORE: The top-seeded V. Sudharshan from Coimbatore and the local lass Likitha Devraj bagged a grand double in the Indian Estates-AITA Championship Seriestournament that concluded here on Friday.

Sudharshan beat the second seeded A.M. Suraj (Karnataka) 6-3, 6-4 in the boys' under-16 final. Later, partnering Suraj, he also won the boys under-16 doubles title.

Likitha Devaraj bagged both the girls' under-14 and under-16 singles titles.

Suraj made many unforced errors on his forehand and was not consistent with his serve which helped Sudharsan take an 4-1 lead in the first set and later claim the set. In the second, Suraj did well to break his rival in the third game and led 3-1, but squandered that advantage with some loose shots.

Likitha quelled the challenge of the second-seeded Nanditha Krishnan, with a 6-3, 6-4 win in the girls' under-14 singles final.

Likitha after being level at 2-2, changed gears to break her rival's serve in the fifth and eighth games to take the first set at 6-3. The second set saw some good rallies, but Nanditha failed to maintain the momentum and lapsed into errors, which saw Likitha bag the set and match at 6-4.

Nanditha who later felt unwell, conceded the under-16 singles final to Likitha.

The former Indian ace Ramesh Krishnan presided and gave away the prizes.

The results (finals):

Boys Under-16: V. Sudharsan (TN) bt A.M. Suraj (Kar) 6-3, 6-4.

Doubles: A.M. Suraj/Sudharsan bt Vibhav Iyengar/Amulyachandra 6-2, 6-4.

Under-14: Amogh Prabhakar (Kar) bt Deepak Swaminathan (TN) 6-2, 6-2.

Girls Under-14: Likitha Devraj (Kar) bt Nanditha Krishnan (TN) 6-3, 6-4.

Under-16: Likitha Devraj (Kar) w/o Nanditha Krishnan .

Doubles: Rachana Gowda/Nitha w/o Likitha Devraj/Nanditha.

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