Ajay, Vanshika eye twin titles

Tribune News Service 

Chandigarh, September 20 

Ajay Malik and Vanshika Choudhary won their respective matches to enter both U-18 and U-16 finals in the boys’ and girls’ categories on the penultimate day of the CLTA-AITA Super Series Tennis Tournament here on Thursday. 

Playing at the CLTA Complex, Ajay Malik stunned top seed Sushant Dabas in the boys’ U-16 semifinals before showing the door to Drona Walia and easing into the U-18 final. 

Third seed Malik drubbed Dabas 6-1 6-4 to set up the title clash with Aditya Balsekar, who came from behind to surprise Krishan Hooda. 

Balsekar lost the opening set 5-7, but came back strongly to win the next two sets 6-4 7-6(3) to stay in contention for the title. 

In the boys’ U-18 semis, Malik registered a 6-3 6-4 win over Drona Walia, while seventh seed Naresh Badgujar downed eighth seed Karan Singh 6-3 6-1.

Rampaging Vanshika

Vanshika, meanwhile, registered a 7-5 6-2 win over Ashpreet Kaur Bajwa in the girls’ U-18 semifinals. In the final, she will play top seed Kaavya Sawhney, who edged third seed Ritika Grewal 7-5 6-1.

In the girls’ U-16 category, Vanshika dismissed Suryanshi Tanwar 6-1 6-1 to set up the summit clash with Mekhala Manna, who registered a 6-3 6-1 win over Shreya Chakraborty.

Sushant-Krishan in final

Meanwhile, top seeded pair of Sushant Dabas and Krishan Hooda downed Tushar Madan and Sarthak Sudan 6-3 6-2 to enter the boys’ U-18 doubles final. 

In the boys’ U-16 doubles semis, fourth seeds Sukhpreet Jhoje and Jitin Chetry stunned top seeds Yogee Panwar and Rohan Mittal 7-6(3) 6-3, while third seeds Ajay  and Sarabjot Singh surprised second seeds Balsekar and Vansh Yadav 6-1 4-6 10-7. 

Shreya Chakraborty and Kaavya Sawhney blanked Princy Panchal and Simran Pritam 6-0 6-0 to enter the girls’ U-18 doubles final, where they will meet third seed pair of Sanvi Ahluwalia and Ashpreet Kaur Bajwa. The duo defeated Suryanshi Tanwar and Konika Singh Dhull 6-1 6-1 in the semis.