Twin titles for Prajwal

Karnataka’s Prajwal Dev SD grabbed two titles on the concluding day of the Inner Wheel AITA Talent Series tennis tournament here on Friday.

After outlasting State-mate Alok Aradhya in a three-setter to clinch the under-18 singles title, the local lad teamed up with Aditya Anant Gokhale to wear the doubles crown in the same category at the Mysore Tennis Club.

Prajwal, the top seed, took the opening set 6-4 in the singles final against fifth-seeded Alok before the latter fought back to level the match after winning the second 6-3. Prajwal, however, held his nerve, winning the decider 6-3.

Unlike the singles win, the doubles was much more comfortable for Prajwal as he and Aditya beat Alok and Ribhav R 6-3, 6-2.

The top seeds had their way in two more singles finals in the day as well. In the boys’ under-16 battle, Anant Gokhale defeated second seed Vignesh Subramanyan 6-4, 6-4 while in the girls’ under-18 title clash, Lavanya Saravanan eased past Shivani Manjanna 6-1, 6-2.

Unseeded Shivani, however, had a reason to cheer earlier in the day when she took home the girls’ under 16 title after posting a hard-fought 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over second seed Soha S to wear the under-16 singles title.

Results (all finals, prefix denotes seeding): Boys: U-18, singles: 1-Prajwal Dev SD (Kar) bt 5-Alok Aradhya (Kar) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.  Doubles: Prajwal Dev SD/ Aditya Anant Gokhale bt Alok Aradhya/ Ribhav R 6-3, 6-2.

U-16, singles: 1-Aditya Anant Gokhale (Mah) bt 2-Vignesh Subramanyan (Kar) 6-4, 6-4.

U-18, singles: 1-Lavanya Saravanan bt Shivani Manjanna (Kar) 6-1, 6-2.
Doubles: 2-Nikita Sai CH/ Soha S bt 1-Lavanya Saravanan/ Diana Abi S 7-6 (7-4), 6-2.

U-16: Shivani Manjanna (Kar) bt 2-Soha S (Kar) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.