City boys face Japanese

Shashank and Ritwik have their task cut out in Junior Davis Cup for India

With one win and a loss, India’s Group ‘D’ match against Japan will decide their approval for the ticket to knockout stage in the AsiaOceania Junior Davis Cup for Under 16 boys being played at the DLTA Complex in New Delhi.

In the second league match against New Zealand, India bounced back hard to dominate the Kiwis with a 2-1 score after being beaten by Hong Kong earlier in the first round.

In the singles, India’s M. Theertha Shashank lost the first set to New Zealand’s Chris Sheng 4-6. However the Hyderabad lad raised the stocks high and pulled up his socks as he wrenched the match in his favour by winning two consecutive sets at 6-2, 6-2.

In the another singles match, India’s Sacchit Sharma went a set down to New Zealand’s George Duncan in the beginning. However, the former gave a tough fight in the second set to clinch it with a 7-6 (5) verdict.

Sacchit then doubled his efforts and left Chris bewildered by taking the third set too at ease. The final scoreline read 3-6, 7-6 (5), 63 in Sacchit’s favour.

India’s doubles duo were disappointed for the second consecutive time as they were outclassed by the New Zealand pair of George Duncan and Zhang Chris Sheng. Despite winning the first set, Theertha Shashank and Ritwik Choudary went down with a 6-3, 3-6, 10-7 scoreline.

Earlier in the first round doubles match too, the Indian pair of Ritwik Choudary and Sacchit Sharma had faltered against Hong Kong’s Ki Lung Roger Ng & Sheung Yin Wong 4-6, 1-6.

In the first singles match, Theertha Shashank could not put up much resistance against Wai Yu Kai as he lost 4-6, 6-4, 5-7. However, Sacchit proved his caliber by beating Ki Lung 6-7 (4), 64, 6-3 but only to avoid his side being swept 3-0.