Osmania boys wrest south zone varsity tennis trophy
The Osmania University men’s tennis team made their outing at the South Zone Inter University Championship memorable by winning the title after a long time.
In the finals played on Thursday, OU defeated hosts SRM University at the Valliammai Tennis Court on SRM Institute of Science and Technology campus in Kattankulathur near Chennai.
The last time OU was among the medals in the zonal event was in 2013, when they managed a bronze.
Captain G. Sai Karteek Reddy led the team from the front with some sterling performances through the tournament — he did not drop a set while playing singles in the entire competition.
Osmania registered a 3-2 verdict in the final. Karteek got OU off to a flying start with a 7-6, 6-1 victory over the fancied Ojes Rathee. L. Suhith Reddy increased OU’s lead as he beat Aditya in straight sets at 6-4, 6-4.
However, the doubles pair of Akash Reddy & P. Nikhil Kumar lost to Ojes & Krishnateja 1-6, 1-6 as SRM reduced the margin. The hosts soon levelled the scores in the first reverse singles when Ojes overpowered Suhith 6-3, 61.
That left the championship to be decided by the last rubber, the second reverse singles, in which Karteek beat Krishnateja
6-4, 6-1 to set off celebrations in the OU camp.
Earlier in the semifinals, OU defeated Anna University 3-2. Karteek beat Lohith Badrinath 6-3,
6-1 and Suhith pinned Pranav 6-4, 6-3 before Karteek & Suhith lost the doubles match to Lohith & Pranav 4-6, 4-6. Suhith was then beaten 6-2, 6-2 by Lohith leaving Karteek to tilt the decider in OU’s favour with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Pranav.