Indian sports news wrap, February 16

Catch the updates and scores of all Indians in action on February 16.

FILE PHOTO: Sneha Singh won the third leg of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour on Thursday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

GOLF

WPGT, 3rd leg: Sneha Singh wins title after beating Jasmine Shekar in playoff

Sneha Singh beat Jasmine Shekar in the playoff to win the third leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club course in Kolkata on Thursday.

Both golfers were tied at 216 after Sneha carded a three-under 69 and Jasmine scored 71 in the third and final round. In the playoff, Sneha birdied the 18 ^th hole on the third attempt to emerge as the winner.

SCORES

216-Sneha Singh (77, 70, 69), Jasmine Shekar (72, 73, 71); 221-Saanvi Somu (A) (73, 76, 72); 222-Seher Atwal (75, 74, 73), Kriti Chowhan (75, 71, 76); 223- Amandeep Drall (70, 75, 78)

- Team Sportstar

Kazuki Higa confirms participation for Indian Open

FILE PHOTO: Japanese golfer Kazuki Higa. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Masters-bound Japanese Kazuki Higa’s participation has lent further glitter to an already formidable field of the upcoming two million USD Hero Indian Open golf beginning at Gurugram’s DLF Golf and Country Club on February 23.

Ranked 79th in the world, Higa leads a field that includes several winners from the 2022 season of the DP World Tour and an array of champions.

Higa topped the Japan Order of Merit with four wins in 2022 and that secured him a card to play on the European Tour. He received a special invitation from Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, to play the year’s first Major.

The winners from last season are Pablo Larrazabal (2), Nicolai Højgaard, Shaun Norris, Yannik Paul, Guido Migliozzi, Robert MacIntyre, Kalle Samooja and Thorbjørn Olesen, once ranked 33rd in the world.

- Rakesh Rao

Gandas shoots under-par as Simonsen, Valimaki share lead in Thailand

Indian golfer Manu Gandas, hoping to make a mark in his maiden season on the DP World Tour, shot his first under-par round with a 1-under 71 to be placed 70th in the 2023 Thailand Classic in Chonburi on Thursday.

His compatriot, Shubhankar Sharma, who after a Top-10 finish in Abu Dhabi and eyeing a good result at the Hero Indian Open next week, had a rough time shooting 3-over 75.

Gandas was 70th, while Sharma was 123rd and needed a solid second round to make the cut.

Martin Simonsen got off to a great start with 8-under 64 that gave him a share of the lead after the opening day of the 2023 Thailand Classic.

Sharing the lead with Simonsen was Finland’s Sami Valimaki, who continued his fine form as he fired a flawless 64.

Simonsen, who is on his first trip to Thailand, will also be playing in India next week at the Hero Indian Open. Earlier he missed the cut in Singapore.

On the other hand, Välimäki arrived at Amata Spring Country Club fresh from last week’s second-place finish at the Singapore Classic.

German duo Alexander Knappe and Yannik Paul, also set to feature in India next week, were one shot behind the co-leaders in a tie for third with Thriston Lawrence, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Fabrizio Zanotti and Robin Sciot-Siegrist, another stroke further back.

- PTI

TENNIS

Yuki-Saketh pair loses in Delray Beach Open pre-quarters

Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni were beaten 6-2, 6-4 by Philipp Oswald and Jordan Thompson in the doubles pre-quarterfinals of the ATP250 event in Delray Beach, USA.

RESULTS

$718,245 ATP, Delray Beach, USA

Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Philipp Oswald (Aut) & Jordan Thompson (Aus) bt Yuki Bhambri & Saketh Myneni 6-2, 6-4.

$25,000 ITF men, Monastir, Tunisia

Doubles (quarterfinals): Oleksandr Ovcharenko (Ukr) & Andrea Picchione (Ita) bt Isaac Nortey (Gha) & Karan Singh 6-4, 4-6, [10-5].

$15,000 ITF men, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

Singles (pre-quarterfinals): SD Prajwal Dev bt Jeong Yeongseok (Kor) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

Doubles (quarterfinals): Gabriele Bosio & Filippo Speziali (Ita) bt Joshua Sheehy (USA) & Rishab Agarwal 6-3, 7-6(5).

$15,000 ITF women, Monastir, Tunisia

Singles (pre-quarterfinals): Chantal Sauvant (Ger) bt Tanisha Kashyap 6-4, 7-5.

Doubles (quarterfinals): Eleni Christofi (Gre) & Yasmin Mansouri (Fra) bt Sravya Shivani & Jennifer Luikham 6-4, 3-6, [10-5].

$15,000 ITF women, Ipoh, Malaysia

Doubles (quarterfinals): Aoi Ito (Jpn) & Ashmitha Easwaramurthi

- Team Sportstar

AITA Championship series juniors

Vanya Arora beat Isheeta Midha 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 to set up a title clash against Reet Arora in the under-18 girls event of the AITA Championship series junior tennis tournament at the CLTA Complex on Thursday.

The results:

Boys: Under-18 (semifinals): Arnav Bishnoi bt Parmarth Kaushik 6-3, 6-3; Sumukh Marya bt Amaan Walia 6-1, 6-1.

Doubles (final): Yashasvi Balhara & Shorya Jisthu bt Sumukh Marya & Armaan Walia 6-1, 6-2.

Under-14 (semifinals): Gaurish Madaan bt Ayaan Chandel 6-3, 6-3; Sangram Bhadury bt Aarav Bhaskar 6-3, 6-1.

Doubles (final): Sangram Bhadury & Gaurish Madaan bt Ribhav Saroha & Ayaan Chandel 6-4, 3-6, [10-6].

Girls: Under-18 (semifinals): Vanya Arora bt Isheeta Midha 6-3, 4-6, 6-1; Reet Arora bt Mannat Awasthi 6-2, 6-4.

Doubles (final): Reet Arora & Jasmine Kaur bt Sidhak Kaur & Kritika Katoch 6-2, 6-3.

Under-14 (semifinals): Jasmine Kaur bt Ananya Sharma 6-0, 6-1; Reet Arora bt Vanshika Yadav 6-0, 6-0.

- Team Sportstar