PUNE: Maharashtra players Ruma Gaikaiwari, Radhika Mahajan and Sai Bhoyar won close matches to make it to the quarterfinals in the girls section in the MSLTA Yonex Sunrise National Series Under-16 tennis tournament at the Ravine Hotel courts in Panchgani on Thursday.
Radhika edged out her state-mate Sonal Patil 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, while Ruma rallied from a set down to beat Bengal’s Mekhala Manna 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, 6-4; and Sai won over Harshita Bangera 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
Telangana’s Vemuri sisters, Abhaya and Apurva also made it to the eight. Abhaya Vemuri defeated Ishita Jadhav 6-4, 6-2, while Apurva Vemuri beat Diya Bharadwaj of Gujarat 6-3, 6-3.
In the boys section, Nithlian Eric and Arjun Premkumar, from Karnataka, Shivam Kadam of Maharashtra and Ajay Singh of Chhattisgarh scored easy wins. Also winning were Gujarat’s Arjun Kundu, Sam Chawla of Delhi and Karnataka’s Ronit Lotlikar and Ayush Bhat.
RESULTS: (Pre-quarterfinals):
Boys Under-16: Arjun Kundu (Guj) bt Ananth Muni (AP) 6-1, 4-6, 6-1; Nithlian Eric (Kar) bt Karim Khan (Mah) 6-1, 6-2; Arjun Premkumar (Kar) bt Deep Munim (MP) 6-3, 6-2; Shivam Kadam (Mah) bt Dhanya Shah (Guj) 6-1, 6-3; Sam Chawla (Del) bt Kritanta Sarma (Asm) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2; Ronit Lotlikar (Kar) bt Kartik Saxena (Del) 6-2, 6-3; Ajay Singh (Cht) bt Yashraj Dalvi (Mah) 6-1, 6-3; Ayush Bhat (Kar) bt Anargha Ganguly (Mah) 6-4, 6-4.
Girls Under-16: Radhika Mahajan (Mah) bt Sonal Patil (Mah) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Amishi Shukla (MP) bt Suryanshi Tanwar (Har) 7-5, 6-2; Ruma Gaikaiwari (Mah) bt Mekhala Manna (Ben) 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, 6-4; Abhaya Vemuri (Tel) bt Ishita Jadhav (Mah) 6-4, 6-2; Apurva Vemuri (Tel) bt Diya Bharadwaj (Guj) 6-3, 6-3; Pari Singh (Har) bt Suhitha Maruri (Kar) 6-2, 2-6, 6-0; Lakshmi Arunkumar (TN) bt Naga Roshne (TN) 6-3, 6-3; Sai Bhoyar (Mah) bt Harshita Bangera (Mah) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
