Indian sports news wrap, January 26

TENNIS

Top seeds Naiktha and Fanni reaches women’s doubles finals

Top seeds Naiktha Bains and Fanni Stollar beat third seeds Rutuja Bhosale and Ankita Raina 7-5, 6-7(3), [10-1] in the doubles semifinals of the NECC $40,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament at the Deccan Gymkhana on Friday.

The Indian pair did have its chances and did well to race from 2-3 to 7-3 in the second set tie-break. However, Naiktha and Fanni scotched all hopes by reaching 9-0 in the super tie-break before Rutuja and Ankita managed to pull back a token point.

In the final, the British-Hungarian pair will face fourth seeds Alexandra Eala and Darja Semenistaja.

In the singles quarterfinals, qualifier Tina Nadine Smith of Australia outplayed second seed Anastasia Tikhonova 6-1, 6-2. Tina will play Dalila Jakupovic in the semifinals.

The other semifinal will be between top seed Darja Semenistaja and third seed Moyuka Uchijima.

-Kamesh Srinivasan

ITF $25k Chennai: Mukund to clash vs Sels in semis; Tomic takes on Vanshelboim

Unseeded Indian Mukund Sasikumar was on a roll defeating Russia’s Alexey Zakharov in straight sets 7-5, 6-3 to enter the semifinal of the USD 25,000 ITF Futures here on Friday.

Mukund, ranked 554th, served with pinpoint accuracy as he finished points with powerful forehands throughout the encounter, unsettling the rhythm of the higher-ranked Russian.

Mukund will be meeting Dutchman Jelle Sels, who outperformed Frenchman Arther Weber in three sets, 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (1-7), 6-3.

Meanwhile, Bernard Tomic of Australia was given a scare by Austria’s Sandro Kopp before winning a hard-fought three-setter 5-7, 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (8-6).

The final set turned out to be tense for both, who held their serves for another 6-6, while Kopp was up 6-5 during the tie-break and held a match point.

Tomic used his experience to play here, saving the match point and winning the subsequent two points to win the meet and reach the semifinal.

He will be taking on Ukraine’s Eric Vanshelboim who produced a relaxing straight-set victory over Indonesia’s Rifqi Fitriadi 6-4, 6-4.

– PTI

KHELO INDIA YOUTH GAMES

Khelo India Youth Games: Madhya Pradesh to meet Odisha in boy’s hockey final

In a repeat of the previous edition, Madhya Pradesh will meet Odisha in the boys’ hockey final of the sixth Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) to be held here on Saturday. In the girls’ summit clash, Haryana will take on Madhya Pradesh. MP will be keen to bag a ‘double’.

The best match of the hockey semifinals was the one between defending champion MP and Haryana in boys’ section, which was evenly paced till the final whistle. In the end, MP edged out Haryana 4-3 through a penalty shoot, after the teams were tied 2-2 in regulation time.

When Haryana’s Amandeep’s shot was legged away by goalkeeper Amaan Khan, it signalled the victory for MP.

The results:

Hockey: Semifinals: Boys: MP 2 (Zameer Mohammad, Md. Konain Dad) bt Haryana 2 (Sunil Maan, Amit Khasa) via tiebreaker 4-3; Odisha 6 (Mohan Krishna, Karan Lakra, Anmol Ekka, Prem Dayal Giri, Deepak Pradhan, Rohit Kullu) bt Jharkhand 1 (Guria Sukhnath).

Girls: Haryana 7 (Rana Sakshi 2, Kajal, Manpreet Kaur, Manisha 2, Ishika, Saavi) bt Mizoram 4 (Vanlahriatpuii 2, Lalrinpuii, Lalbiaksiami).; MP 3 (Amanpreet Kaur, Soniya Kumre, Sonam) bt Odisha 1 (Tanjua Toppo).

Weightlifting:

Boys: 49Kg: 1. Babulai Hembrom (Jhr) 84 (snatch), 107 (clean & jerk) 191 (total); 2. Rishab Prasher (UP); 3. Krushna Vyawahare (Mah); 55Kg: 1. L. Dhanush (TN) 101 (snatch), 124 (clean & jerk), 225 (total), 2. Nikhil Koli (Mah), 3. Sosar Toma (ARN).

Girls:

40kg: 1. Jyoshna Sabar (Odi) 60 (snatch), 70 (clean & jerk) 130 (total); 2. Priteesmita Bhoi (Odi); 3. B. Neeraja (AP); 45Kg: 1. Megha Aher (Mah) 63, 85, 148; 2. R. Bhavani (AP); 3. Payal (Har).

Shooting: Mixed team (finals): 10m air rifle: 1. Maharashtra, 2. Haryana, 3. WB; Trap: 1. Rajasthan, 2., TN, 3. Punjab.

-Team Sportstar

SHOOTING

World Cup: Rhythm Sangwan tops qualification

Rhythm Sangwan qualified for women’s air pistol final at the top with a score of 584, following a series of 97, 98, 97, 97, 96 and 99 in the shooting World Cup in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday.

Anuradha Devi also made the final with a score of 575. Manu Bhaker placed 18th with 572, while competing for ranking points only (RPO), Sainyam and Olympian Yashaswini Singh Deswal shot 576 and 568 respectively.

In men’s air pistol, Sagar Dangi made the final with a score of 582, but finished sixth.

In men’s trap, Zoravar Singh Sandhu (70) was in the 17th place after three rounds. Prithviraj Tondaiman (68) and vivaan Kapoor (60) were further down in the 35th and 65th spots. In the RPO section, Lakshay Sheoran and Bhowneesh Mendiratta shot 69 and 65 respectively.

In women’s trap, Rajeshwari Kumari shot the best among the Indians with 64 after three rounds. Manisha Keer (63) and Bhavya Tripathi (60) followed her.

The results: 10m air pistol: Men: . Lim Hojin (or) 241.9 (586); 2. Samuil Donkov (Bul) 241.7 (580); 3. Lauris Strautmanis (Lat) 220.4 (582); 6. Sagar Dangi 158.3 (582); 10. Ujjawal Malik 579; 18. Ravinder Singh 577. RPO: Varun Tomar 578; Kedarling Uchaganve 573.

-Kamesh Srinivasan

GOLF

Jay Pandya shoots 63 to take halfway lead at top Pre-Qualifying I

Ahmedabad golfer Jay Pandya shot a red-hot eight-under 63 to lead at the halfway stage of the Pre-Qualifying I of the TATA Steel PGTI Qualifying School here on Friday.

Pandya was 10-under 132 after round two at the Golmuri Golf Course.

From a total field of 122 in Pre-Qualifying I, the top 22 players qualified for the Final Qualifying Stage as the cut was declared at one-under 141.

The 25-year-old Pandya (69-63), who was T-14th overnight and four off the lead at the start of round two, fired an outstanding 63 to finish two shots clear of the rest of the field.

Pandya, who turned pro in 2020, struck it close to the pins through the day that helped him pick up nine birdies at the cost of a lone bogey.

He ended the event in style with birdies on the last five holes. His longest putt of the day was a 25-feet conversion on the closing 18th.

Local hero Karan Taunk (68-66) secured a tied second place at eight-under 134 along with Yash Majmudar (66-68).

Sagar Raghuvanshi made a hole-in-one on the 17th during his round of 68. Sagar qualified having finished tied 15th at two-under 140.

-PTI