Golf
Aditi cards 67, lies 2nd in Americas Open
India’s Aditi Ashok shot a bogey-free five-under 67 to lie second at the Mizuho Americas Open golf tournament here.
The lone Indian on the world’s biggest professional stage of women’s golf, Aditi was lying second behind leader Lauren Hartlage (65).
As Hartlage shot her career-best round on the LPGA with five birdies and an eagle and no bogeys, Aditi had five birdies and no bogeys and was two behind at the iconic Liberty National Golf Club.
Aditi was second after a loss in a play-off at JM Eagle LA Championship and finished T-5 at the Cognizant Founders Cup.
She already has one win this season on the Ladies European Tour besides two other top-3 finishes and leads the Order of Merit on the other side of the Atlantic.
“I don’t think you can ever go into an event thinking this is the one I’m going to win because golf kind of humbles you sometimes,” Aditi said.
“But, yeah, I just know that if I play good four days, then I’ll have a pretty good chance. I just focus on trying to play the best round of golf I can play on that day. Sometimes that’s a 67; sometimes that’s a 72,” added Aditi, who has been on the LPGA tour since 2017.
Starting on the 10th, Aditi was up and running with birdies on 10th and 12th and added a third on 16th. She turned in three-under and further gains came in from fifth and sixth.
Aditi played very well hitting 12 of the 14 fairways and found 13 greens in regulation and needed 27 putts for the round. She may have missed a couple of birdies but was happy with a 67.
Hartlage dominated with a bogey-free seven-under.
She started with an eagle on the tenth and kept up the tempo.
At tied third are Northern Irishwoman Stephanie Meadow and two-time champion Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand.
Thitikul fought windy conditions throughout the afternoon to earn her 68.
Seven players shot three-under and are T-5 heading into round two, including two-time major champions Brooke Henderson and Lydia Ko.
Making her professional debut after a spectacular amateur career, Rose Zhang shot a two-under 70.
-PTI
Steady start for Manu Gandas in Germany
Indian golfer Manu Gandas carded an even par 72 that placed him Tied-26th at the Porsche European Open here.
Gandas came into the DP World Tour because of the strategic alliance with the India’s domestic PGTI Tour, where he topped the rankings last year.
Gandas, the lone Indian in the field as Shubhankar Sharma took time off this week to practice for the Open next month, had three birdies against three bogeys. Gandas started from the first with a birdie but he bogeyed second, fourth and eighth and turned in 2-over. Birdies on 14th and 15th saved the day for him as he turned in a card of even par. Germany’s Max Kieffer carded a four under par 69 to share the first-round lead as he staked an early claim to become the first German winner on home soil for 15 years.
Kieffer shared a one-stroke lead with Sweden’s Simon Forsström, who carded five birdies and a bogey to join the German at the top of the leader board.
-PTI
TENNIS
AITA National series: Vansh beats Manish to set up title clash
Vansh Nandal beat Manish Yadav 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 to set up a title clash against Debasis Sahoo in the under-18 boys section of the AITA National series junior tennis tournament at the Joygaon Academy on Friday.
The girls final will be between Aakruti Sonkusare and Sreenidhi Balaji.
The results
-Team Sportstar
ITF U-18 C’Ship: Shanvitha & Michelle win title
N. Shanvitha Reddy of India and Michelle Khomich of Germany won the girls doubles title in the ITF Junior Circuit (under-18) tennis championship in Kampala (Uganda) today.
N. Shanvitha Reddy and Michelle Khomich of Germany who won the girls doubles title in the ITF Circuit (under-18) tennis tournament in Kampala (Uganda) on Friday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The City-based Shanvitha and Michelle defeated Leila Akhmetova (Russia) and Sia Mahajan of India 3-6, 6-4, 10-4 in the final.
Earlier, Shanvitha, 11th standard student of Gaudium International School, and Michelle scored a 6-1, 6-0 win over Ajenka Puri and Tamanna Walia of India in the quarterfinal and then a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Shana Martin Mao (Tanzania) and Makena Tomegah (Ghana) in the semifinal.
-V. V. SUBRAHMANYAM
€73,000 Challenger tennis tournament- Nagal beats Ukraine’s Krutykh to reach semis
Lucky-loser Sumit Nagal beat Oleksii Krutykh of Ukraine 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the €73,000 Challenger tennis tournament in Troisdorf, Germany, on Friday.
In the Challenger in Italy, Anirudh Chandrsekar and Vijay Sundar Prashanth made the doubles final.
In the $25,000 ITF women’s event in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand, Vaidehi Chaudhari reached the singles semifinals and the doubles final in partnership with Shrivalli Bhamidipaty.
The results
-Team Sportstar
CRICKET
Four young women cricketers given Anjum Chopra scholarship
Four young women cricketers Ishika Kumari, Shraddha Motiparas, Gaurika Yadav and Shubhi Sharma have been given the Anjum Chopra scholarship for training and mentorship from professionals, through Push Sports.
The former captain of the Indian team, Anjum Chopra was happy to be associated with the grooming of such hand picked talent from across the country.
“I commend this initiative to encourage girls participation in cricket at the grassroots levels. I hope the talented girls maintain their unwavering commitment to training with the aim of excelling on all larger platforms”, said Anjum.
Apart from financial support, the scholarship would also help the recipients join exclusive tours in India and abroad.
-Team Sportstar
WRESTLING
Ranking Series wrestling: Disappointing day for Indian wrestlers
Greco Roman wrestlers Vikas (72kg) and Sajan (77kg) lost their bronze medal matches as India had a disappointing day at the Ranking Series wrestling event at Bishkek on Friday.
Vikas beat Uzbekistan’s Donyorkhon Nakibov 6-5 in the quarterfinals before losing 1-3 to Iran’s Olympic and World champion Mohammadreza Geraei in the semifinals. The Indian was pinned by Georgian Otar Abduladze in the bronze medal duel.
Sajan was beaten 8-0 by Mohammadreza’s brother Mohammadali Geraei in the round of 16, but got another chance when the three-time Worlds bronze medallist entered the final. Sajan defeated Turkey’s Yunus Basar ‘by fall’ before coming up short 5-7magainst China’s Rui Liu in the contest for bronze.
Neeraj (67kg) went down fighting in the repechage round. Rohit Dahiya (82kg) exited in the first round.
In the women’s section, Olympian Sonam Malik (62kg) was ousted 3-5 by Chinese Jia Long in the opening round.
Nisha (68kg) crashed out in the first round. Priya (76kg) suffered defeat in the quarterfinals.
-Team Sportstar
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