HOCKEY
Maharashtra comes from behind to beat BPCL, Odisha thrashes Karnataka
Maharashtra displayed exemplary fighting spirit to script a stunning 5-4 win over former champion BPCL in the 95th MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup All-India hockey tournament held here on Friday.
Earlier, Odisha registered a compact 4-1 victory over Karnataka, last year’s finalist, for its first win in two matches.
Playing in the tournament for the first time, Maharashtra came roaring back from being 0-2 and then 1-3 down to register a fine victory.
Things changed dramatically in the third and fourth quarters. From being 1-3 down, Maharashtra scored four goals: a brace each by Aditya Lalage, a current junior world cupper and Stephen Swamy. BPCL, however, had its chances in the final quarter.
Trailing 3-5, BPCL reduced the margin through a stroke that was converted by Varun Kumar.
With four minutes remaining for the final whistle, BPCL had a golden opportunity to equalise. But Varun’s stroke was saved by goalkeeper Shivratna Rasal.
The results:
-Team Sportstar
GOLF
Ridhima and Tvesa tied 17th at La Sella Open
Indian golfers Ridhima Dilawari and Tvesa Malik were tied 17th at 2-under 70 each at the end of the first round of the La Sella Open on the Ladies European Tour.
The other two Indians, Pranavi Urs (even par 72) and Seher Atwal (73), were placed T-31 and T-63 respectively.
Ridhima, who finished late on Thursday evening, had a bogey start and then had three birdies against two bogeys in an action-filled five-hole stretch between the eighth and the 12th. At even par through 16, she birdied her last two holes for a solid 2-under card.
Tvesa teed off from the 10th and had a steady back-nine with eight pars and a birdie on the par-4 15th. On her second nine, she started with a birdie on the first and added one more on the third to go to a healthy 3-under.
She then dropped her only shot of the day on the par-3 fourth and parred the remaining holes for a 2-under card.
Pranavi had three birdies and three bogeys in her 72.
It was a tightly-packed leaderboard at the end of the first day with Virginia Elena Carta, Helen Briem and Elina Nummenpaa sharing the lead. They all fired 5-under 67 each at the one million euro event.
-PTI
Sharma way down as Baldwin leads at Wentworth
India’s Shubhankar Sharma had a difficult start with a 3-over 75 that will make it difficult for him to make the cut at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club.
Shubhankar was lying T-114th following an eagle, a birdie and six bogeys. He had a birdie, an eagle and two bogeys in his first four holes and four bogeys on his back nine.
Matthew Baldwin produced a flawless seven-under-par round of 65 to lead the championship by one shot. The 38-year-old Englishman managed to keep his card clean and held his nerve to roll in his seventh birdie at the last to take the outright lead
-PTI
Disappointing start for Aditi; Buhai in lead
Aditi Ashok, competing in her first event since the Women’s Open at St. Andrews, had a disappointing start at the Kroger Queen City Championship, finishing with a two-over 74 to be tied 103rd.
With the projected cut set at one-under, the world No 66 Indian will need a strong second round to remain in contention.
In her opening round, Aditi carded two birdies and four bogeys, finding many fairways but struggling with her greens in regulation.
South African Ashleigh Buhai shot an opening 65 to take the first-ever first-round lead at TPC River’s Bend.
Despite missing the cut in her last two appearances, Buhai’s lowest round of the season gives her an early one-stroke advantage.
-PTI
Vani edges out Hitaashee in play-off in Leg 12 of Hero WPG Tour
Vani Kapoor rose to the occasion and clinched her first title in 18 months as she beat overnight leader Hitaashee Bakshi on the third play-off hole in the 12th leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the DLF Golf and Country Club on Friday.
After both the players had negotiated the play-off 18th hole with two par rounds, Vani had a birdie, the third time, while Hitaashee had already taken five shots and gave up.
It was a commendable effort as Vani had started the third round three shots behind the leaders Hitaashee and Vidhatri Urs, who had won the last three events in the circuit.
Hitaashee gave herself the chance to win when she needed a birdie on the last seven goals. She could not find one and had to endure the tie-break.
Vidhatri could have reached the play-off but for a bogey on the par-4 17th hole.
The victory should give Vani the confidence to compete well in the Hero Women’s Indian Open scheduled at the same course next month.
Amateur Anvvi Dahhiya was fourth, ahead of Janneya Dassannnjee and Kashika Misra, who were tied fifth, while Keerthana Rajeev was seventh.
Khushi Khanijau, who equalled the day’s best card of 69 (along with Anvvi Dahhiya), was tied eighth with Sneha Singh and Kriti Chowhan.
-Kamesh Srinivasan
WEIGHTLIFTING
IWF Junior World Weightlifting Championships: Loganathan Dhanush wins men’s 55kg bronze
Loganathan Dhanush became the first Indian to win a medal at the IWF Junior World Weightlifting Championships when he clinched a bronze in the men’s 55kg category.
K. Duong of Vietnam won the gold medal with a total of 253 kg, and Tomari Kotaro of Japan won the silver medal with a total of 247 kg.
Dhanush of India won the bronze medal with a total of 231 kg and also bagged a bronze medal in snatch event having lifted 107 kg.
In the women competition, Payal finished 6th with a total of 150 kg in the 45 kg weight category. A total of nine athletes are representing India in this tournament.
-Team Sportstar
Taarini Lodha clinches gold in EFI Concours De Dressage National (CDN) Competition
Taarini Lodha from Amateur Riders’ Club secured gold medal in the Dressage Children II category at the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) organized Concours De Dressage National (CDN).
Taarini secured first place and finished her round with an average score of 68.5% while riding on Chase. Harshini B came second and finished her round with an average score of 65.343% while riding on Star Proof and Kripa Jain finished third and ended her round with an average score of 65% while riding on Christy.
-Team Sportstar
TENNIS
Sunil beats defending champion Ajay to win AITA Tournament in Faridabad
Third seed Sunil Malik beat the champion of the last tournament and top seed Ajay Malik 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the final off the Rs.100,000 AITA men’s tennis tournament at the Faridabad Academy on Friday.
Ajay Malik (left) and champion Sunil Malik in the AITA men’s tennis tournament in Faridabad on Friday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Sunil had beaten the finalist of the last event at the same venue, Vansh Nandal in straight sets in the semifinals.
The results (final):
-Kamesh Srinivasan
Shrivalli misses her chances
Shrivalli Bhamidipaty missed a match point at 5-2 in the decider and got beaten 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) by fourth seed Maddison Inglis in the quarterfinals of the $60,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament in Perth, Australia, on Friday.
Shrivalli did save two match points at 5-6 on her serve, but eventually went down in the tie-break.
Ankita Raina also was beaten in the singles quarterfinals, but made the doubles final in partnership with Naiktha Bains, as the duo beat Shrivalli and Tenika McGiffin.
The results:
$1,081,395 ATP, Hangzhou, China
Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan & Vijay Sundar Prashanth bt Blake Bayldon & Thomas Fancutt (Aus) 7-6(4), 4-6, [10-7].
€148,625 Challenger, Bad Waltersdorf, Austria
Doubles (semifinals): Guido Andreozzi (Arg) & Sriram Balaji bt Jakob Schnaitter & Mark Wallner (Ger) 7-6(5), 6-1; Quarterfinals: Andreozzi & Balaji bt Giorgio Ricca & Augusto Virgili (Ita) 6-1, 6-2.
$60,000 ITF women, Perth, Australia
Singles (quarterfinals): Maddison Inglis (Aus) bt Shrivalli Bhamidipaty 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5); Eri Shimizu bt Ankita Raina 7-5, 6-4.
Doubles (semifinals): Naiktha Bains (GBR) & Ankita Raina bt Shrivalli Bhamidipaty & Tenika McGiffin (Aus) 5-7, 6-4, [10-7].
$15,000 ITF men, Vaxjo, Sweden
Singles (quarterfinals): Karl Poling (USA) bt Aryan Shah 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(2).
$15,000 ITF men, Tehran, Iran
Singles (quarterfinals): Dev Javia bt Mert Naci Turker (Tur) 7-6(5), 6-4; Saveliy Ivanov bt S.D. Prajwal Dev 7-5, 6-3.
Doubles (semifinals): Simone Agostini (Ita) & Samyar Elyasi (Iri) bt Parth Aggarwal & Jagmeet Singh 7-5, 7-6(9); Quarterfinals: Parth & Jagmeet bt Raghav Jaisinghani & Arthav Neema 7-6(6), 7-6(2).
$15,000 ITF men, Monastir, Tunisia
Singles (quarterfinals): Karan Singh bt Jack Loge (Bel) 6-3, 6-0.
$15,000 ITF men, Bali, Indonesia
Singles (semifinals): Yurii Dzhavakian (Ukr) bt Yuvan Nandal 6-3, 6-0.
-Kamesh Srinivasan
BRIDGE
Wham beats WBT, sets up final against Shourie
Wham beat WBT Bridge App 131-92 in the semifinals of the Team of Four gold event in the 21st HCL International Bridge championship on Friday.
In the final, Wham will play Shourie that scored a 108-102 win over Vedic.
The results (semifinals):
-Kamesh Srinivasan
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