Karan, Reshma are U-16 champs
Karan Singh and Reshma Maruri had to labour hard before winning the under16 boys and girls titles in the Fenesta Open Junior National Tennis championship on Saturday at the DLTA facility. Aayush Bhat and Pavitra Parikh walked away creditable winners with the under-14 titles, respectively.
On a warm day, playing tennis was quite hard. Apart from the heat, there was simply no breeze and the players had to conserve energy for the exacting battles.
For Karan, seeded four, it was definitely an upset of sorts as he downed second seed Udit Gogoi 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) in a match of fluctuating fortunes.
Having lost the first set, Karan then changed tactics with a mix of deep groundstrokes and also the change of pace in rallies. The excitement was palpable in the stands with school children cheering the combatants on.
As the match got longer, Karan definitely looked more hungry and fresh. His ability to belt the ball from the back court was impressive as he won the marathon tie.
“I’m very happy with my win today. My thanks to my coaches and parents for their support,” said an excited Karan.
In the under-16 girls final, Reshma from Bengaluru played solid tennis to down Pari Singh 7-5, 6-2.
Reshma trains at a residential tennis programme in Bengaluru run by Davis Cup coach Zeeshan Ali. Zeeshan had promised her he would fly down to Delhi if she made the final. Watched by the
coach, Reshma produced the sparks and won with ease in the second set. “It was a tough match but I kept fighting. I have played a couple of nationals in different categories but this was the best experience so far and a dream come true. I
would like to take this opportunity to thank my coach, family, friends and Fenesta team,” said Reshma.
The boys under-14 final was a crazy mix. Breaks of serve and inconsistency from the players saw three sets being played. Aayush Bhat beat Agriya Yadav the top seed 3-6, 6-1, 6-0.
“I’m really happy, this was my dream and it came true. The final was tough and my opponent played really well. This tournament
has always been a pleasure coming to, especially since the previous week of under-18 and men’s I got to learn a lot. I’m looking forward to the next edition of this tournament,” said Aayush.
For hard-working Pavitra Parikhit was a good win against second seed Shruti Ahlawat. The scoreline was 6-1, 6-4.
“It feels amazing to win my first nationals and I have no words to describe how it feels to
win the tournament. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the people who believed in me and kept me going,” said Pavitra.
Prizes were given away by Ajit Shriram, JMD, DCM Shriram Ltd and Rajiv Khanna, Vice President DLTA.
The Indian hockey captain Rani Rampal also graced the occasions and spoke to the players and gave them a pep talk and shared her rich experiences with the winners.
For Karan, seeded four, it was definitely an upset of sorts as he downed second seed Udit Gogoi 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) in a match of fluctuating fortunes