TABLE TENNIS
WTT Contender Nova Gorica: Sathiyan-Manika pair reaches mixed doubles final
Indian mixed doubles pair of Gnanasekaran Sathiyan and Manika Batra reached the final of the WTT Contender event in Nova Gorica, Slovenia on Friday.
Sathiyan and Manika won 3-2 (11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 9-11, 12-10) against the Hungarian pair of Dora Madarasz and Nandor Ecseki in the semifinal.
In the summit clash, the Indians will face Lim Jonghoon and Shin Yubin of Korea on Saturday.
Before her mixed doubles final, Manika will partner Archana Kamath in the women’s doubles semifinal against Doo Hoi Kem and Zhu Chengzhu of Hong Kong, China.
- Team Sportstar
GOLF
Rishi Narain stars in The A Team’s title-triumph
It took some quality play from Rishi Narain, a member of India’s gold-winning team in the 1982 Asian Games, to guide The A-Team to the Delhi Golf Club League title in New Delhi.
Jubilant members of The A Team after winning the Delhi Golf Club League title at the Delhi Golf Club course in New Delhi | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The A-Team outplayed Baale Golf 10.5-7 in the final that promised to produce a closer contest.
Rishi, who excelled on the same course 40 years ago when India hosted the Games, proved more effective than Baale Golf’s Amit Luthra, another member of that triumphant team in 1982.
For third place, BMW Deutsche-Motoren defeated Christie’s Golf 9.5-6.5.
-Rakesh Rao
Bhullar best Indian at 27th, 7 Indians make cut in Morocco
Rabat: Gaganjeet Bhullar carded one-under 72 to emerge as the best-placed Indian at tied 27th after the second round of the International Series Morocco here.
Bhullar, a nine-time winner on the Asian Tour, and a one-time winner on the European Tour, was even par for 36 holes as he led a group of seven Indians into the weekend rounds.
SSP Chawrasia (73-74) and Aman Raj (74-73) were tied 32nd, Jyoti Randhawa (73-75) was tied 39th, Viraj Madappa (75-74) and Karandeep Kochhar (75-74) were tied 50th and Ajeetesh Sandhu (74-76) was tied 62nd.
The Indians missing the cut were Veer Ahlawat (76-79), S Chikkarangappa (79-77) and Honey Baisoya (76-81).
Canadian Richard T. Lee fired a classy eight-under-par 65 to take the halfway lead at the USD 1.5 million event. Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong returned a 72 and is in second place, while Australian Scott Hend and Spaniard David Puig are a stroke further behind after carding 69 and 70 respectively.
Bhullar, who found a lot of fairways, but missed a lot of putts – needing 34 in the first round – was less accurate off the tee on the second day. But he went through his round in 27 putts.
Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond (70) and Rattanon Wannasrichan (71), Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent (71) and Englishman Steve Lewton (73) are another stroke adrift.
Lee, the 32-year-old two-time winner on the Asian Tour, who spent four days in Dubai to acclimatise himself, eagled the par-five fifth, made three birdies in a row from the 10th, birdied 18 but missed numerous chances, including nearly holing out for an eagle on the sixth, to go even lower.
Nitithorn, who won The DGC Open in March for his maiden success on the Asian Tour and in August triumphed in the International Series Singapore, now sits in third position on the Tour’s Order of Merit.
-PTI
TENNIS
Junior Davis Cup: India defeated Mexico
The Indian team scored a 3-0 victory over Mexico in the positional play-off match in the Junior Davis Cup under-16 World Group tennis tournament in Antalya, Turkey, on Saturday.
India will play host Turkey in the match for the 13th place on Sunday.
The Indian team had lost its three league matches against Czech Republic, Italy and Britain. Then, it had lost the positional play-off against Argentina.
The results:
Positional play-off 13-16: India bt Mexico 3-0 (Kriish Tyagi bt Santiago Aponte 6-1, 6-3; Rushil Khosla bt Ignacio Marquinez 6-1, 6-1; Rushil & Vansh Nandal bt Santiago & Ignacio 6-3, 6-3).
Balaji and Jeevan lose semifinals
Top seeds Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Sriram Balaji were beaten 6-4, 7-5 by fourth seeds Facundo Diaz Acosta and Luis David Martinez in the doubles semifinals of the $53,120 Challenger tennis tournament in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
The results:
$53,120 Challenger, Guayaquil, Ecuador
Doubles (semifinals): Facundo Diaz Acosta (Arg) & Luis DAvid Martinez (Ven) bt Sriram Balaji & Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan 6-4, 7-5.
$15,000 ITF men, Al Zahra, Kuwait
Doubles (final): William Jansen (GBR) & Borys Zgola bt Prychya Isaro (Tha) & Lohithaksha Bathrinath 7-5, 1-0 (retired).
-Kamesh Srinivasan
BADMINTON
Mithun and Rahul storm into final
M. Mithun and C. Rahul Yadav entered the men’s singles final of the All India Senior ranking badminton tournament in Vishakhapatnam on Saturday.
Mithun defeated Abhishek Soni 21-15, 21-18 while Rahul scored a 21-17, 11-21, 21-16 win over Alap Mishra in the semifinals.
In the women’s singles semifinals, Anupama Upadhyaya defeated Anmol Kharb 13-21, 21-14, 21-10 while Aditi Bhat notched up a 21-3, 14-21, 21-16 win over Ira Sharma.
The results: Semifinals: Men’s singles: M. Mithun bt Abhishek Soni 21-15, 21-18; C. Rahul Yadav bt Alap Mishra 21-17, 11-21, 21-16.
Women’s singles: Anupama Upadhyaya bt Anmol Kharb 13-21, 21-14, 21-10; Aditi Bhat bt Ira Sharma 21-3, 14-21, 21-16.
CRICKET
Datta Reddy cracks century
M.K. Datta Reddy cracked a century to help Andhra score 290 against Haryana. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
M.K. Datta Reddy cracked a century (172, 122b, 24x4, 9x6) to help Andhra score 290 against Haryana on the first day of the four-day Cooch Behar Trophy (under-19) cricket championship match at Mulapadu Cricket Complex in Vijaywada.
In reply, Haryana scored 99 for two at close of play.
The scores: At Mulapadu: Andhra 290 in 55.2 overs (M. K. Datta Reddy 172, K. Revanth Reddy 36) vs Haryana 99/2 iin 32 overs.
Dhruv, Vinay shine
Dhruv Kumar Reddy scored 110 for Kadapa against Kurnool at the ACA South Zone inter-district two-day cricket championship. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Century by Dhruv Kumar Reddy (110, 86b, 9x4, 5x6) for Kadapa against Kurnool was one of the highlights of the ACA South Zone inter-district two-day cricket championship at Kadapa.
In another match, fine all-round performance by B.S. Vinay Kumar of Anantapur, who claimed six for 56 and then hit 63 against Nellore featured the drawn game.
The scores: At Kadapa: Nellore 136 in 41.3 overs & 158 in 39.5 overs (P. Subramanyam 58, B.S. Vinay Kumar 6/56) lost to Anantapur 327 in 78 overs (B.S. Vinay Kumar 63, Ajith Babu 5/69).
Kadapa 283 in 65.2 overs & 248/4 in 47 overs (Dhruv Kumar Reddy 110, S. Zaheer Abbas 86) drew with Kurnool 203 in 68.3 overs (Sai Surya Teja Teddy 40, Shaik Asif Khan 3/20).
