Y. Pranjala kept Indian hopes alive with a 7-6(1), 6-0 victory over Bunyawi Thamchaiwat of Thailand in the girls’ semifinals of the Asian junior tennis championship at the DLTA Complex here on Friday. Pranjala won the doubles title with Wushuang Zheng, who had tamed Mihika Yadav for the loss of four games in the other semifinal.
Top seed Wushuang Zheng continued to serve and stroke with conviction and Pranjala cracked a few rousing backhand down-the-line winners to overcome a spirited challenge from Zhanlan Wei of China and I-Hsuan Cho of Chinese Taipei in straight sets.
In the boys’ semifinals, Renta Tokuda of Japan bounced back from the brink of defeat to beat compatriot Yusuke Takahashi 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-2 in a three-hour battle of wits.
In the final, Tokuda will face top seed Nam Hoang Ly of Vietnam who brushed aside the challenge from third seed Yosuke Watanuki of Japan.
The results: Boys (semifinals): Nam Hoang Ly (Vie) bt Yousuke Watanuki (Jpn) 6-2, 6-2; Renta Tokuda (Jpn) bt Yusuke Takahashi (Jpn) 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-2.
Doubles (final): Alberto Llim (Phi) & Nam Hoang Ly (Vie) bt Sora Fukuda & Renta Tokuda (Jpn) 6-3, 6-4.
Girls (semifinals): Wushuang Zheng (Chn) bt Mihika Yadav 6-3, 6-1; Y. Pranjala bt Bunyawi Thamchaiwat (Tha) 7-6(1), 6-0.
Doubles (final): Wushuang Zheng (Chn) & Y. Pranjala bt Zhanlan Wei (Chn) & I-Hsuan Cho (Tpe) 6-2, 6-4.
(The headline of this article has been corrected for a factual error)
