BHUBANESWAR 13-Jan-2012 288
Host Gurukul Tennis Academy (GTA) trainees Adwithiya Patnaik and Tanmayee Patnaik won their maiden under-18 all-India titles by emerging boys’ and girls’ singles champions respectively in the AVS Infra AITA-OTA Talent Series Tennis Tournament, which concluded at the GTA Complex, Mendhashal, 20 kms from here today.
Belying all expectations, the two final matches proved to be one-sided affairs with seventh seed Adwithiya overpowering top seed and Mahesh Bhupathi Academy product B S Rahul (Karnataka) 6-2, 6-3 and second seed Tanmayee outhitting top seed and statemate Shilpi Swarupa Das, also a trainee of Bangalore-based Bhupathi Academy, 6-1, 6-1.
Sixteen-year-old Adwithiya, who earlier won the doubles title along with Rahul, defeating local opponents Avilash Mishra and Nishant Kumar 6-1, 6-1 in the final, thus clinched creditable double in the four-day tournament. The title winners in each category gained 15 ranking points, while the losing finalists secured 12 points apiece.
