Vishwakarma, Mahak win natl tennis titles

NEW DELHI: Siddharth Vishwakarma stunned top seed Arjun Kadhe to clinch the men’s singles at the Fenesta Open national tennis championships on Saturday.

Serving with power and hitting ferocious strokes, Siddharth won 6-2, 6-7 (2), 6-3 to grab his maiden national title.

In the women’s final, Mahak Jain was too good for Natasha Palha. The 17-year-old raced to a 6-1, 6-2 victory, claiming her second successive national title. Mahak showed the most consistent game all week, chasing every ball and hitting deep to create openings. Playing in junior Grand Slams has raised the confidence of the Indore teenager.

In the boys’ under-18 final, Siddhanth Banthia lived up to the promise, beating Calvin Golmei 7-6, 6-2. The girls’ under-18 title was won by Humera Shaik, who beat Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty 6-2, 6-4.

The men’s final was entertaining. It hardly mattered that Varanasi boy Vishwakarma is ranked 1221 on the ATP charts, way below Kadhe’s 358.

LAHIRI FALTERS, MISSES CUT IN PGA EVENT

NAPA, USA: Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri could not improve on his score significantly as he added a 1-under 71 to his first round 73 and missed the cut at the PGA Tour’s season-opening Safeway Open here.

Lahiri had four birdies against one bogey and one double, but he