National champion Niki Poonacha survived three match-points and went on to beat the country’s No. 1 player Ramkumar Ramanathan 5-4(6) to drive Bangalore Challengers into the final of the Centena Pro Tennis League at the RK Khanna Stadium here on Friday.
Bangalore Challengers won five of its six matches for a 27-16 triumph over Pro Veri Challengers.
Ramkumar could not pull his weight in doubles in the company of Nitin Kumar Sinha as Niki and Paras Dahiya combined well for a bright game. Bangalore was well served by Aman Dahiya who won both his matches and Sai Samhitha who was equally efficient with her calm and calculated play.
The other semifinal went down to the wire before Team Radiant won the decisive mixed doubles through Prerna Bhambri and Arjun Uppal, who outplayed Swarandeep Singh and Diva Bhatia 5-0. Sriram Balaji and Siddhant Banthia had kept Indian Aviators in the fray beating Saketh Myneni and Suraj Prabodh respectively. It was an anticlimax after Aviators had stayed close at 19-20 with Radiant before the last rubber.
The results (semifinals): Bangalore Challengers bt Pro Veri Supersmashers 27-16 (Aman Dahiya bt Aditya Nandal 5-3; Aman & Sai Samhitha bt Aditya & Mahika Khanna 5-0; Niki Poonacha bt Ramkumar Ramanathan 5-4(6); Niki & Paras Dahiya bt Ramkumar & Nitin Kumar Sinha 5-2; Paras bt Nitin 5-2; Dilip Mohanty & Sai Samhitha lost to Mohit Phogat & Mahika 2-5).
Team Radiant bt Indian Aviators 25-19 (Parv Nage bt Ajay Malik 5-2; Parv & Prerna Bhambri bt Ajay & Diva Bhatia 5-4(6); Saketh Myneni lost to Sriram Balaji 3-5; Saketh & Suraj Prabodh bt Balaji & Siddhant Banthia 5-3; Suraj lost to Banthia 2-5; Arjun Uppal & Prerna bt Swarandeep Singh & Diva 5-0) .
