Madhwin Kamath played a stellar role, winning both his singles and doubles matches, in guiding Stag Babolat Yoddhas to a 3-1 victory over Raisoni Achievers, into the semifinals of the Pro Tennis League at the R.K. Khanna Stadium here on Thursday.
The 17-year-old Madhwin, ranked a modest 427 among the juniors in the world, thrived in experienced company and played a robust all-round game.
It was a tough start for the young boy as he battled Nishant Dabas in the opening rubber, staying strong despite missing four set points in the tenth game. In the tie-break, Madhwin was explosive as he raced to a 9-0 lead before closing the match out 10-1.
Vishaal Uppal and Saketh Myneni consolidated the position for the Yoddhas by beating Arjun Kadhe and Saurabh Singh.
It was a minor aberration when Saketh was blown off the court by Arjun Kadhe, that kept the race for semifinals alive.
Madhwin partnered the wily old fox Mayur Vasant for a telling victory over Saurabh Singh and Dilip Mohanty in the fourth rubber. The Yoddhas led 5-2 before the match got complicated. Madhwin held his nerve to unleash quality play that brought the curtains down on the Raisoni challenge.
It was a classical blend of the power of youth and the craft of the experienced that the Yoddhas put on display that proved too much of a cocktail to negotiate for Raisoni achievers.
In the semifinals to be played simultaneously from 3 p.m. on Friday, Stag Babolat Yoddhas will play Mohun’s Aces, while Tennis Fanatics will clash with Vamos Delhi.
The results:
Group-A: Sankara Aces bt Court Kings 4-1 (Dipin Wadhwa lost to Siddhant Banthia 0-6; Tushar Jagota & Sidharth Rawat bt Vishnu Vardhan & Tushar Liberhan 6-4; Sidharth Rawat bt Vishnu Vardhan 6-0; Dipin Wadhwa & Nitten Kirrtane bt Tushar Liberhan & Vipin Sirpaul 6-2; Nitten Kirrtane & Pritam Yashwant bt Vipin Sirpaul & Vansh Kapoor 6-2).
Mohun’s Aces bt Tennis Fanatics 3-2 (Karan Srivastava ost to Kabir Hans 5-7; Vijay Sundar Prashanth & Ashutosh Singh lost to VM Ranjeet & Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan 4-6; Vijay Sundar Prashanth bt Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan 6-3; Karan Srivastava & Viney Mohun bt Kabir Hans & Nishant Goel 7-5; Jagdish Tanwar & Viney Mohun bt VM Ranjeet & Nishant Goel 6-3).
Group-B: Stag Babolat Yoddhas bt Raisoni Achievers 3-1 (Madhwin Kamath bt NIshant Dabas 7-6 (10-1); Vishaal Uppal & Saketh Myneni bt Arjun Kadhe & Saurabh Singh 6-2; Saketh Myneni lost to Arjun Kadhe 1-6; Madhwin Kamath & Mayur Vasant bt Saurabh Singh & Dilip Mohanty 6-4).
Stag Babolat Yoddhas bt Raisoni Achievers 3-1 (Madhwin Kamath bt Nishant Dabas 7-6 (10-1); Vishaal Uppal & Saketh Myneni bt Arjun Kadhe & Saurabh Singh 6-2; Sketh Myneni lost to Arjun Kadhe 1-6; Madhwin Kamath & Mayur Vasant bt Surabh Singh & Dilip Mohanty 6-4).
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