ROURKELA 06-Jan-2011 435
Orissa boy Shakti Ray and Andhra Pradesh girl Nidhi Surapaneni clinched a double each in the AITA Talent Series Tennis Tournament, which concluded at NIT Campus here today. Top seed Shakti emerged champion in under-14 and under-16 singles categories, defeating statemate Avilash Mishra in both the finals.
Girls top seed Nidhi won the under-14 and and under-16 singles crowns, beating GS Vasavi (Tamil Nadu) and Tanmayee Patnaik (Orissa) respectively in straight sets. The winners gained 15 AITA ranking points each and the runner-up 12 each.
The only doubles title of the tournament went to Orissa-Delhi duo of Snehanshu Sadangi and Vedant Khandelwal, who overcame Orissa-Bihar combination of Avilash Mishra and Nishant Kumar in the hard-fought final.
CRPF Commandant M L Rabindra, Rourkela Steel Plant DGM Deepak Mishra, OCL Executive Director D D ATAL gave away the trophies at the closing ceremony. Organising Secretary Prakash Senapati of host Rourkela Tennis Association, tournament referee Manoj Kumar Nayak and assistant referee Prabin Kumar Nayak were present on the occasion.
RESULTS:
U-14 boys singles: Semifinals: Shakti Ray (Ori) bt Nishant Kumar (Bih) 6-0, 6-1; Avilash Mishra (Ori) bt Ekalavya Singh (Jha) 6-3, 6-2. Final: S Ray bt A Mishra 6-1, 6-2.
U-16 boys singles: Semifinals: Shakti Ray (Ori) bt Nishant Kumar (Bih) 6-1, 6-2; Avilash Mishra (Ori) bt Snehanshu Sadangi (Ori) 6-3, 6-3. Final: S Ray bt A Mishra 6-0, 6-3.
U-14 girls singles: Semifinals: Nidhi Surapaneni (AP) bt Koyal Mishra (Ori) 6-1, 6-1; GS Vasavi (TN) bt Tanmayee Patnaik (Ori) 7-6 (7-4), 7-5. Final: N Surapaneni bt G Vasavi 6-1, 6-4.
U-16 girls singles: Semifinals: Tanmayee Patnaik (Ori) bt Aayushi Chauhan (CG) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3; Nidhi Surapaneni (AP) bt Komal Vishakha (Ori) 6-2, 6-4. Final: N Surapaneni bt T Patnaik 6-2, 6-4.
U-16 boys doubles (Final): Snehanshu Sadangi (Ori)-Vedant Khandelwal (Del) bt Avilash Mishra (Ori)-Nishant Kumar (Bih) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOTO: Prize winners, guests and organising officials at the presentation ceremony of the AITA Talent Series Tennis Tournament in Rourkela on January 6, 2011.