The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Raghavendra claims under-16 title

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Saturday, Dec 27, 2008
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Sport - Tennis

Raghavendra claims under-16 title

Special Correspondent

— Photo: K Gopinathan

CHAMPIONS: The winners — Preethi (under-14), Siddarth (under-14), S. Raghavendra (under-16), Shalaka Manjunath (under-16).

BANGALORE: Top seed S. Raghavendra lived up to his billing, claiming the boys’ under-16 singles title in the Mahila Seva Samaja AITA Talent Series championship, which concluded at the Samaja courts here on Friday.

This was Raghavendra’s second title at the fag end of the season. The top seed quelled a spirited challenge from Sarthak Siddarth of Tamil Nadu in a well-contested three-setter lasting 130 minutes at 7-5, 4-6, 7-5.

The 15-year-old youngster’s strategy to stay back of the court and wait for his rival to make mistakes backfired when Siddarth had the rallies going. In the first set, Raghavendra led 3-1 before losing way for a while and came back to win at 7-5.

In the second, Siddarth, who went up 2-0, took the set at 6-4.

In the decider, Raghavendra shed his inhibitions and attacked more often to wrest a 5-3 lead, but blew two match points, allowing Siddarth to square at 5-all.

Raghavendra raised his game and cracked Siddarth again to take the set at 7-5 and the title.

In the girls’ under-16 singles final, Shalaka Manjunath beat Rachita Sarda 6-2, 7-5. The results (finals): Boys: Under-16: S. Raghavendra bt Sarthak Siddarth (TN) 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. Girls: Under-16: Shalaka Manjunath bt Rachita Sarda 6-2, 7-5. Under-14 singles: Preethi Gokhale bt S.P.Ritu 6-2, 7-5.