TENNIS - Bopanna into Munich Open Quarterfinals
Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop beat Philipp Kohlschreiber and Max Hans Rehberg 6-1, 6-4 to make the doubles quarterfinals of the Munich Open (€597,900 ATP) in Germany on Wednesday.
In the $53,120 Challenger in the US, Sumit Nagal beat Tung-Lin Wu of Chinese Taipei 6-2, 7-5 to reach the second round.
- Kamesh Srinivasan
Asia-Oceania World Juniors
Arnav Paparkar pulled India out of trouble in partnership with Aditya Mor as the host qualified for the quarterfinals with a 2-1 victory over Jordan in the Asia-Oceania World Junior Tennis U-14 boys
tournament at the DLTA Complex on Wednesday.
Jordan did remarkably well to win the second singles through Malek El-Qurneh after Arnav had won the first singles for India. In the decisive doubles, the Indian boys fought bravely to beat the Jordan
pair 6-3, 6-4.
India finished second in the group behind the formidable Japan. Thus, for the quarterfinals, India drew group-A topper South Korea which beat Australia 2-1, thanks to the efficiency of Cho Se Hyuk who won both his singles and doubles matches.
With the top four teams qualifying for the World Group competition scheduled later in the season in Europe, the teams will be at their competitive best in the knockout on Thursday, despite having battled tough conditions for three days in the league phase.
In the other quarterfinals, Kazakhstan will play Hong Kong, Australia will be challenged by Thailand, and Japan will face Indonesia.
- Kamesh Srinivasan
SHOOTING - National selection trials
Vijayveer Sidhu beat Harsh Gupta 16-12 on the count of inner-10s after the two tied on 575 in 25-metre standard pistol in the fourth National Shooting selection trials at the Dr. Karni Singh Range, Tughlakabad,
on Wednesday.
Anish Bhanwala came third with a score of 572, beating Ankur Goel and Pradeep Singh with a better score of inner 10s.
The trio was on top in the junior event as well. In the junior women’s section, Tejaswani topped with 566, four points ahead of Niveditha Nair, while Rhythm Sangwan placed third.
The results:
25m standard pistol
Men: 1. Vijayveer Sidhu 575; 2. Harsh Gupta 575; 3. Anish Bhanwala 572.
Juniors: 1. Vijayveer Sidhu 575; 2. Harsh Gupta 575; 3. ANish Bhanwala 572.
Junior women: 1. Tejaswani 566; 2. Niveditha Nair 562; 3. Rhythm Sangwan 559.
- Kamesh Srinivasan
Shotgun World Cup - Mairaj Ahmad Khan misses cut
A bad fourth round of 22 out of 25 put paid to the hopes of Olympian Mairaj Ahmad Khan making the final of the skeet event in the Shotgun World Cup in Lonato, Italy, on Wednesday.
Mairaj had rounds of 24, 24, 24, 22 and 25 for a total of 119, which saw him miss the cut by three points. In fact, there were eight shooters fighting for one spot in the final with the score of 122, in the high scoring competition.
While Mairaj placed 31st in a field of 136 shooters, Parampal Singh Guron (114) and Gurjoat Khangura (113) finished 78th and 87th respectively.
India did not field any shooter in women's skeet.
- Kamesh Srinivasan
GOLF - Asian Games golf trials
Viraj Madappa shot a fine four-under 68 in the second round to move into a four-shot sole lead in the men's section, while amateur Avani Prashanth fired eight-under 64 to enjoy a share of the women's lead with Jahanvi Bakshi at the Asian Games Golf Trials here on Wednesday.
With 16 men fighting for two available berths among men and 11 women battling for one spot, the fight has been intense and aggressive. Anirban Lahiri and Shubhankar Sharma among men and Aditi Ashok and Tvesa Malik have already been selected for the Asian Games to be held later this year in Hangzhou, China based on their world ranking.
ALSO READ - April 26: Indian sports news wrap of the day
Avani (74-64), the brightest amateur who represented India at the Augusta National Women's Amateurs earlier this month, began with five birdies from the first and went on to compile a superb eight-under 64 to get to six-under 138 and share the top spot with Jahanvi (69-69).
Avani, who had an improvement of 10 shots from her first-round score, had an incredible nine birdies against just one bogey, which ironically came on the Par-5 ninth.
Madappa, whose sole Asian Tour win came at this very course in 2017, started from the 10th and had four birdies and one bogey in his first five holes. Overall, he had six birdies against two bogeys. Following Madappa is Karandeep Kochhar, who added a second straight 69 with six birdies against three bogeys.
Tied second with Kochhar was Yuvraj Singh Sandhu (68-70). Sandhu was going great with four birdies and no bogey in his first nine. He was then hit by four bogeys in a space of five holes between third and seventh, though there was one birdie in between. He ended with two pars and kept his hopes of making it to the Asian Games alive.
Overnight co-leader Veer Ahlawat had a rough second round with one-over 73 after a first round 66. At five-under 139 he was fourth, while Rashid Khan (68-73), a former Asian Games silver medallist as an amateur in the team event in 2010, was tied fifth with Krishnav Nikhil Chopraa (72-69).
Udayan Mane (71-71), who played at the 2014 Asian Games and 2021 Tokyo Olympics, was tied-seventh with Kshitij Naveed Kaul (69-73) and Khalin Joshi (69-73). Avani started in style with five birdies on the trot in first five holes and added a sixth on eighth and three more on the back nine without any errors.
Overnight leader Hitaashee Bakshi slipped with 74 after 68 on the first day and is now third at two-under 142. Kriti Chowhan (74-71) was fourth, while Gaurika Bishnoi (74-72) was fifth and amateur Sneha Singh (76-71) was sixth.
- PTI
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