Defending champion Vishnu Vardhan fired 15 aces in getting past former champion V.M. Ranjeet 6-4, 7-6(4) in the men’s semifinals of the Fenesta National tennis championship at the DLTA Complex here on Friday.
In the final, the 28-year-old Vishnu will face his doubles partner and top seed, Sriram Balaji. Interestingly, the two have won three ITF doubles titles this season as a pair.
The 25-year-old Balaji had to ward off a stiff challenge from another former national champion, Mohit Mayur, 7-6(4), 6-4. With both the players serving big and stroking energetically, it was lively fare for the appreciative fans on the show court.
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Balaji, quite used to the Challenger circuit of late, was easily the better player, but the heavy-looking Mohit belied his appearance to produce a vibrant performance that saw him fire the forehand with admirable authority. Mohit looked to be making a fight of it when he broke Balaji in the third game of the second set, but he dropped serve in the next game to lose the initiative.
There was a last hurrah in the ninth game, but Balaji saved four breakpoints to avert danger, and a dispirited Mohit dropped serve at love in the next game.
Balaji-Ranjeet duo reignsADVERTISEMENT
Balaji clinched the doubles title with Ranjeet, against Shaikh Abdullah and Mohit Mayur, to warm up better for the singles climax.
The good run of players supported by the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association, continued into the women’s event, as former national junior champion Sai Samhitha recovered from being down 2-4 in the decider to tame the reigning Asian junior champion Pranjala Yadlapalli.
The three-time champion Prerna Bhambri was at home as she outclassed the former Asian junior champion Snehadevi Reddy for the loss of three games.
Snehadevi Reddy won the doubles title with Dhruthi Venugopal, taming top seeds Sowjanya Bavisetti and Rishika Sunkara in straight sets.
In the junior section, Aryan Goveas overcame Nitin Kumar Sinha to set up a title clash with B.R. Nikshep.
The results:Men (semifinals): Sriram Balaji bt Mohit Mayur 7-6(4), 6-4; Vishnu Vardhan bt V.M. Ranjeet 6-4, 7-6(4).
Doubles (final): V.M. Ranjeet & Sriram Balaji bt Shaikh Abdulllah & Mohit Mayur 6-4, 6-7(4), [10-6].
Women (semifinals): Prerna Bhammbri bt Snehadevi Reddy 6-0, 6-3; Sai Sahitha bt Pranjala Yadlapalli 5-7, 6-1, 6-4.
Doubles (final): Snehadevi Reddy & Dhruthi Venugopal bt Rishika Sunkara & Sowjanya Bavisetti 6-4, 6-3.
Under-18 boys (semifinals): Aryan Goveas bt Nitin Kumar Sinha 6-4, 6-4; B.R. Nikshep bt Parikshit Somani 6-3, 6-3.
Doubles (final): Adil Kalyanpur & Parikshit Somani bt Param Pun & Paramveer Singh Bajwa 6-4, 6-3
Under-18 girls (semifinals): Zeel Desai bt Mahak Jain 6-0, 6-7(4), 6-1; Sathwika Sama bt Prinkle Singh 6-2, 6-0.
Doubles (final): Sathwika Sama & Shivani Ingle bt Prinkle Singh and Vaidehi Chaudhari 7-5, 1-6, [10-4].