The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Divij in line for a double

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 17, 2007
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Sport

Sport - Tennis

Divij in line for a double

K. Keerthivasan

GUWAHATI: Having been in the Davis Cup probables list for the tie against Uzbekistan and then finding his name missing from the final list would have disappointed any youngster.

Undeterred, Divij Sharan focussed his energies on the National Games. The top seed from Delhi has played with passion and intensity for his State both in the individual and team events, and has literally toyed with his opponents. On Friday at the Chachal Complex, Divij, playing in his maiden National Games, reached the singles and doubles final.

Divij defeated Arjun Gautam 6-3, 6-1 in the singles semifinal and later teamed up with Ashutosh Singh to beat the Maharashtra duo of Nitin Kirtane and Arjun Gautam 6-4, 6-3 in the doubles last four clash.

Divij will meet West Bengal's Manoj Sewa, who caused a minor upset defeating third seed Ashutosh Singh of Delhi 6-3, 6-4.

Like Divij, Sonal Phadke too has been playing well this week. Her decision to change her forehand grip from double to single hand has given her more reach and hence better court coverage. The 24-year-old top seed from Maharashtra got the better of Vishika Chhetri of Delhi 6-2, 6-1.

Meanwhile, though there was not much to celebrate for Tamil Nadu in the singles with the two players — V.M. Ranjeet and Mohammad Fariz losing early — doubles has given the State some sort of hope.

In the men's doubles semifinals, the pair of Kamala Kannan and Vijay Sundar Prashanth quelled the challenge of the Sewa brothers, Vinod and Manoj 7-6(3), 6-2.

The results:

Semifinals: Men: Singles: Divij Sharan (Dli) bt Arjun Gautam (Mah) 6-3, 6-1; Manoj Sewa (WB) bt Ashutosh Singh (Dli) 6-3, 6-4.

Doubles: Divij Sharan/ Ashutosh Singh (Dli) bt Nitin Kirtane/ Arjun Gautam (Mah) 6-4, 6-3; Kamala Kannan/ Vijay Sundar Prashanth (TN) bt Vinod Sewa/ Manoj Sewa (WB) 7-6(3), 6-2.

Women: Singles: Sonal Phadke (Mah) bt Vishika Chhetri (Dli) 6-2, 6-1; Parul Goswami (Dli) bt Archana Venkataraman (TN) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

Doubles (semifinals): Sonal Phadke/ Krushmi Cheda (Mah) bt Shivika Burman/ Ragini Vimal (WB) 6-7(4), 6-2, 7-5; V. Poojashree/Archana Venkataraman (Kar) bt Parul Goswami/Vishika Chhetri (Del) 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-3.