Vipasha knocks out top seed Bhakti
NEW DELHI: In a giant-killing effort, Vipasha Mehra knocked out top seed Bhakti Parwani 0-6, 6-0, 6-4 to move to the semi-finals of the girls under-16 event at the Fenesta Open Junior National Tennis Championship on Thursday.
It was a remarkable turn around by Vipasha who looked clueless in the opening set, committing lot of errors.
“I don’t think I even got five points in the first set. But I tried to refocus and start again in the second set. I got my rhythm back slowly but then the third set was like a roller-coaster for me mentally,” she said
“The win today still has not sunk in yet. I knew I was playing with the top seed but I did not let that affect me and remained focused on my game,” added the girl from Tamil Nadu.
Also advancing to the lastfour was fourth seed Sunskriti Damera, who eased past Bela Tamhankar 6-2, 6-2. Sanjana Sirimala rallied past Rutuja Chaphalkar 7-6(4), 6-3. In the last quarter-final, Gargi Parwar was tested in the first set before she thumped Kasish Bhatia 7-6(5), 6-1.
PATNA PIRATES BEAT UP YODDHA
CHENNAI: Defending champions Patna Pirates edged out UP Yoddha 43-41 in a thrilling match of the Pro Kabaddi Season 6 on Thursday.
Pardeep Narwal produced a strong raiding performance as he scored 16 points to lead Patna to victory. For UP Yoddha, Shrikant Jadhav scored 12 points but it was a case of so near yet so far. The difference between the teams was also their defensive strength. While Patna Pirates scored 11 tackle points, Yoddha’s got just seven points.
TVS TO FIELD FOUR RIDERS IN DAKAR 2019
NEWDELHI:SHERCO TVS Rally Factory Team will field a four-rider squad in the 2019 Dakar rally, to be held in Peru from January 6 to 17.
France’s Metge brothers, Michael and Adrien, and Spain’s Enduro champion Lorenzo Santolino will be joined by an Indian rider. The team is aiming for a top-10 finish this time, it said in a media release.
Santolino will race in Dakar for the first time while it will be the sixth edition for Michael and 4th for Adrien. India’s Aravind KP is the front-runner for the vacant slot. He is recovering from injury suffered in the Panafrica rally and will undergo a fitness test in France on Oct 26. If Aravind doesn’t make it, there is option to select another Indian rider for the squad.
Unlike the previous editions, the rally will be run in one country in 2019.
KHALSA COLLEGE, TIKA RAM SCHOOL IN FINAL
NEW DELHI: Amritsar’s Khalsa College Senior Secondary School recorded contrasting wins to set up title clash with Tika Ram Senior Secondary School (Sonepat) in the under-17 grils Nehru Hockey Tournament.
In the semi-finals played here at the Shivaji Stadium on Thursday, Amritsar beat Government School Thenzwal (Mizoram) 2-0 while Sonepat team defeated Government Girls Model School (Chandigarh) by 4-2 in shoot out.