Hard-fought wins for Shahbaaz and Thakkar

CHANDIGARH, Jan 5 (UNI): Eighth seed Shahbaaz and unseeded Rakshy Thakkar, both of India, overcame stiff resistance from their respective opponents in the boys' singles second round of the ITF Grade 3 World Ranking Tennis Tournament here today.

The winners were extended to three sets before moving into the quarter-final stage.

A limping Digvijay Singh Mehta, a CLTA trainee, went down fighting to Shahbaaz Khan in three well-contested pre-quarter-final sets at the Centre Court.

After sharing one set-all and 2-4 down in the third and deciding set, Digvijay Singh Mehta was given medical treatment as he sustained injury on his left leg.

Spirited Digvijay continued his match despite feeling pain and limping.

Leg injury restricted his free court movements.

The CLTA trainee broke Shahbaaz Khan in the seventh game to make it 3-4.

Shahbaaz started hitting on both sides of the court and also rushed for the netplay.

He broke Digvijay Mehta in the eighth game.

Serving for the game, set and match, Shahbaaz Khan was in total control of the game on his serve in the ninth game which he clinched at love.

Earlier, Digvijay Mehta, who originally hails from Himachal Pradesh and trains at CLTA, trailed 2-4 in the opening set but won four games in a row to claim the set at 6-4.

Tall Shahbaaz Khan fired his shots with power and precision to win the second set.

Down 1-3, Shahbaaz displayed his class by winning five games in a row to win the set at 6-3 to make it one-all.

The match lasted for 133 minutes.

Shahbaaz is now pitted against second seeded Saurabh Singh in the quarter-final round tomorrow.

Saurabh Singh scored a fluent 6-2, 6-3 verdict against Kong Pop Lertchal of Thailand.

Rakshay Thakkar, who had outsted sixth seed Wang Chieh-Fu of Taipei yesterday, today maintained his winning spree by ending the challenge of Pulat Babadjanov of Uzbekistan in three sets 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in another boys pre-quarter-final match.

In a 119-minute tussle, Thakkar and Babadjanov traded break for break in the first three games.

Thakkar gained a 2-1 lead.

The Indian player broke Babadjanov in the fifth game for a 4-1 lead.

The Uzbek then broke Thakkar in the seventh game to reduce the margin to 3-4.

After holding his serve, Thakkar broke his opponent in the ninth game to win the set at 6-3.

Babadjanov raised his game in the second set as he reeled off four wins in succession by winning the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth games to clinch the set at 6-3 and shared one set all.

Thakkar hit back in the third and deciding set with victories in the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th games in a row and emerged winner in the pre-quarter-final match.

Thakkar will now cross swords with third seed Mohit Mayur Jayaprakash in quarters.

Mohit accounted for Vinod Gowda in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.

Other seedes also have a smooth sailing.

Top seed Sumeet Shinde, fifth seed Ronit Bisht fourth seed Sai Kartik Nakireddi along with seventh seed Ting Yu Chuang of Taipei advanced to the quarter-final with straight set wins.

Top seed N Sankaew of Thailand and second seeded Kyra Shroff (India) moved ahead in the girls quarter-finals with contrasting styles.

While Sankaew had a smooth sailing against Natasha Palha whom she beat in straight sets 6-2, 6-1, Kyra struggled to overcame plucky Shweta Rana in three well-fought sets 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4.

An upset was recorded in the girls matches as unseeded Sowjanya Bavisetti stunned fifth seed Sharmada Ballu in three sets 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

Vaniya Dadwal, who had yesterday shocked fourth seed Teltumbde, to dispose of the challenge of Vajdic Dora of Croatia 3-6, 6-3, 6-3,Results: Boys singles (2nd round): Sumeet Shinde (Ind) bt Vilaster Khate (Ind) 7-5.

6-1, Sai Kartik Nakireddi (Ind) bt Arjun Kadhe 6-2, 6-4, Mohit Mayur Jayaprakash (Ind) bt Vinod Gowde (Ind) 6-3, 6-4, Ting Yu Chuang (Tpe) bt Rajat Maheshwari (Ind) 6-3, 6-4, Rakshay Thakkar (Ind) bt Pulat Babadjanov (Uzb) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, Saurabh Singh (Ind) bt Kong Pop Lertchal (Tha) 6-2, 6-3, Shahbaaz Khan (Ind) bt Digvijay Singh Mehta (Ind) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, Ronit Bisht (Ind) bt Kunal Anand (Ind) 7-5, 6-3.

Girls (2nd round): Vaniya Dangwal (Ind) bt Vajdic Dora (Cro) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, Sowjanya Bavisetti (Ind) bt Balu Sharmada (Ind) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, Rishika Sunkara (Ind) bt Smiti Joon (Ind) 6-1, 6-0, N Sankaew (Thailand) bt Natasha Palha (Ind) 6-2, 6-1, Kyra Shroff (Ind) bt Sweta Rana (Ind) 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4, Zi Yang (China) bt Laura Deigman (GBR) 6-4, 6-3, A Prenko (Tkm) bt Bhuvana Kalva (Ind) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, Ankita Raina (Ind) bt Kanika Vaidya 6-4, 6-3.

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