ATHLETICS
Tajinderpal Singh Toor, Jyothi Yarraji included in Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
Asian Games champion shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, Asian champion sprint hurdler Jyothi Yarraji and Asian long jump silver medallist figure in the 15-member Indian team for the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships which will be held in Tehran, Iran, from February 17 to 19.
The team:
Men: V.K. Elakkiyadasan (60m), Tejas Ashok Shirse (60m hurdles), Mohammed Afsal (800m), Ajay Kumar Saroj (1500m), Gulveer Singh (3000m), Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Dhanvir Singh (shot put).
Women: Jyothi Yarraji (60m hurdles), Harmilan Bains (1500m), Ankita (3000m), Nayana James, Shaili Singh (long jump), Pooja (high jump), Pavithra Venkatesh, Baranica Elangovan (pole vault).
GOLF
Avani Prashanth shoots day’s best score, rises to second place in Australia
Avani Prashanth cherished hat-tricks of birdies on both nines to card the day’s best score of 5-under 68, which propelled her to second place on the leaderboard after the second round of the Australian Masters of Amateurs.
Avani (71-68), who dropped four shots late in the first round, had seven birdies against two bogeys and she is now 7-under for 36, just one stroke behind the leader, Japan’s Nika Ito (68-70) at the Par-73 South Golf Club.
Avani, ranked 50th in the World amateur rankings, has one more round to go to make a bid for one of the most prestigious amateur titles in the region.
The 2023 Queen Sirikit Cup winner birdied the third, fourth and fifth and then birdied the 10th, 11th and 12th and at that stage, she was 6-under for the day.
She dropped shots on the 13th and 18th but in between had a birdie on the 17th, which she had bogeyed on Day 1.
India’s other players were once again struggling as Heena Kang (83-85) was 69th among women.
In the men’s section, Rohit Narwal (76-70) improved his showing and rose to T-52 up from overnight T-79. Sandeep Yadav (84-74) improved by 10 shots in his first round but was still 95th.
Max Moring of Australia (67-67) was tied for the top spot with Zackary Swanwick (67-67) at 10-under each, while Australia’s Siddharth Nadimpalli (69-67) was third at 8-under total.
-PTI
TENNIS
KSLTA to host KPB Trust ITF Women’s Open from Jan 14
FILE PHOTO: India’s Ankita Raina in action.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
FILE PHOTO: India’s Ankita Raina in action.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
The Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) will host the third edition of the KPB Trust ITF Women’s Open from January 14 to 21 in a new avatar. This premier tennis tournament will be played under lights for the first time, thus enhancing the spectator experience.
On the competition front, the main draw includes 20 direct entries, four wild cards and eight qualifiers. Last edition’s finalist Ankita Raina is the lone Indian figuring in the list of direct entries as per the acceptance list. Latvian Darja Semenistaja, ranked 143rd on the WTA rankings leads the list of a highly competitive field comprising players from over 19 countries.
The qualifying rounds will be held on Jan 14 and 15 while the main round begins on Jan 16.
Soha, Suhita given wildcards: Meanwhile, Soha Sadiq and Suhita Maruri, two of the most promising players from Karnataka have been given a wild card for the main draw by KSLTA.
-Team Sportstar
Adelaide International: Second seeds Bopanna and Ebden enters doubles quarters
Second seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden entered the doubles quarterfinals as they got a walkover from Andre Goransson and Albano Olivetti in the $739,945 ATP tennis tournament in Adelaide, Australia, on Wednesday.
In the Challenger in Nonthaburi, Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar Ramanathan made the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Toshihide Matsui and Kaito Uesugi of Japan.
Ramkumar, however, was beaten in the singles main draw by Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-3.
The results
$739,945 ATP, Adelaide, Australia Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Rohan Bopanna & Matthew Ebden (Aus) w.o. Andre Goransson (Swe) & Albano Olivetti (Fra).
$739,945 ATP, Auckland, New Zealand Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Nathaniel Lammons & Jackson Withrow (USA) bt Yuki Bhambri & Robin Haase (Ned) 6-7(4), 7-6(2), [10-7].
$82,000 Challenger, Nonthaburi, Thailand Singles (first round): Valentin Vacherot (Mon) bt Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-4, 6-3.
Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Rithvik Bollipalli & Niki Poonacha bt Dennis Novak (Aut) & Akira Santillan (Aus) 6-2, 6-4; Saketh Myneni & Ramkumar Ramanathan bt Toshihide Matsui & Kaito Uesugi (Jpn) 6-3, 7-5.
$15,000 ITF men, Kish Island, Iran Singles (first round): Parth Aggarwal bt Enrico Baldisserri (Ita) 6-1, 6-1.
Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Hesam Yazdi & Moin Mohammadi (Iri) bt Parth Aggarwal & Sergo Sikharulidze (Geo) 5-7, 6-2, [11-9].
$15,000 ITF women, Monastir, Tunisia Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Michika Ozeki (Jpn) & Wi Hwuiwon (Kor) bt Flavie Brugnone (Fra) & Ashmitha Easwaramurthi 7-5, 7-5.
-Kamesh Srinivasan
ITF junior: Rishitha beats Israel’s Fadida in pre-quarters
Rishitha Basireddy sustained her focus to outwit May Fadida of Israel 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in the girls pre-quarterfinals of the ITF junior tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex on Wednesday.
Rishitha, who had beaten the second seed Maya Iyengar in a tough three-setter in the first round, will play Maria Golovina in the quarterfinals.
In the boys section, Rethin Pranav and Vihaan Reddy sustained the Indian hopes in contrasting ways, albeit winning their matches in three sets each.
Rethin overcame a strong challenge in the second set from Makar Krivoshchekov to blank him in the decider. Vihaan overcame a sluggish start to outsmart qualifier Kuzma Gomziakov.
In the quarterfinals, Vihaan will be up against top seed Nikita Bilozertsev of Ukraine, while Rethin will play Rohan Belday.
The results (pre-quarterfinals)
Boys: Nikita Bilozertsev (Ukr) bt Seo Hyeon Seok (Kor) 6-1, 6-0; Vihaan Reddy bt Kuzma Gomziakov 4-6, 6-2, 6-3; Rohan Belday (USA) bt Aarjun Pandit 2-6, 6-3, 6-1; Rethin Pranav bt Makar Krivoshchekov 6-2, 3-6, 6-0; Duje Markovina (Cro) bt Roman Kharlamov 6-0, 6-1; Ognjen Milic (Srb) bt Cahir Warik 6-1, 6-0; Roshan Santhosh (USA) bt Jaden Tan (Ina) 0-6, 6-1, 6-3; Luc Wieland (Sui) bt Vojtech Vales (Cze) 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.
Girls: Lidia Podgarichani bt Sara Borkop (Den) 6-2, 6-2; Jo-Leen Saw (Mas) bt Anya Murthy (USA) 4-6, 6-1, 6-3; Christasha McNeil (USA) bt Aoi Watanabe (Jpn) 6-4, 7-5; Tzeng Mu-Jie (Tpe) bt Maayan Laron (Isr) 6-3, 6-1; Polina Berezina bt Petra Konjikusic (Srb) 7-5, 7-5; Daria Shadchneva bt Priyanka Rana (USA) 6-1, 6-0; Maria Golovina bt Shihomi Leong (Mas) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; Rishitha Basireddy bt May Fadida (Isr) 6-2, 3-6, 6-2
-Kamesh Srinivasan
Sasikumar, Karan enter ITF Mandya Open pre-quarters
Fourth seed Indian Sasikumar Mukund and talented youngster Karan Singh registered contrasting wins to make the men’s singles pre-quarterfinals of the ITF Mandya Open here on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old Karan scripted a fighting 3-6 6-3 6-2 over seventh seed Tsung-Hao Huang of Taipei, while Mukund beat compatriot Kabir Hans 6-3 6-4.
However, it was heartbreak for the newest face in the Indian Davis Cup team and local favourite SD Prajwal Dev.
The eighth seed squandered three match points in the final set to go down to Yunseok Jang of Korea 2-6 7-5 5-7 in a match lasting over three hours.
The last three matches of the day were stopped half-way owing to bad light.
Results
Round of 32, (Indian unless mentioned): Men’s Singles: Yunseok Jang (KOR) beat 8-SD Prajwal Dev 6-2 5-7 7-5; 5-Nam Hoang Ly (VIE) beat Ranjeet Virali-Murugesan 6-2 6-3; 4-Sasikumar Mukund beat Kabir Hans 6-3 6-4; Mitsuki Wei Kang Leong (MAS) beat Rishi Reddy 4-6 6-3 7-5; Ofek Shimanov (ISR) beat Shivank Bhatnagar 6-2 6-4; 1-Kris Van Wyk (RSA) beat Faisal Qamar 6-1 7-6 (2); Thijmen Loof (NED) beat 6-M Rifqi Fitriadi (INA) 7-6 (5) 1-6 6-1; 3-Orel Kimhi (ISR) beat Rishab Agarwal 6-3 4-6 6-2; Karan Singh beat 7-Tsung-Hao Huang (TPE) 3-6 6-3 6-2; Vishnu Vardhan beat David Pichler (AUT) 6-3 3-6 6-4; Madhwin Kamath beat Grigoriy Lomakin (KAZ) 6-3 7-6 (6); Manish Sureshkumar vs 2-Giles Hussey (GBR) 6-7 (4) (interrupted); Siddhant Banthia vs Jelle Sels (NED) 4-6 (interrupted); Ishaque Eqbal vs Matt Hulme (AUS) 7-6 (4) 2-2 (interrupted).
– PTI
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