Nikshep, Vasisht move into last four

 Top seed Nikshep B R from Karnataka moved smoothly into the semifinals of the boys singles even as the top three seeds — Delhi lasses Simran Kaur Seth and Vanshika Sawhney and Maharashtra’s Devanshi Bhimjiyani — bowed out in the Junior National tennis Championships on Thursday.

Nikshep was given a tough fight by ninth seeded Manav N Pondkule (Maharashtra) before he prevailed 6-3, 7-6 (3) in a quarterfinal tie.

Joining Nikshep in the boys semifinals were Vasisht Vinod Cheruka of Karnataka, Nitin Kumar Sinha (Bengal) and S Manish (Tamil Nadu). In the girls singles, Seth went down to 15th seed Sathwika Sama of Andhra Pradesh in straight sets while Sawhney faded after taking the first set on tie-break against 16th seed Ramya Natarajan of Tamil Nadu. Bhimjiyani lost to another local girl Abhinikka R.Completing the semifinal line-up was fourth seed from Gujarat Zeel Desai who beatTamil Nadu’s Rishika Ravi.

The results (all quarterfinals):

Boys’ singles: 1-Nikshep B R (Kar) bt 8-Manav N Pondkule (Mah) 6-3, 7-6 (3); 15-Nitin Kumar Sinha (WB) bt 4-Venkata Gnana Bhaskar (AP) 6-2, 6-3; 9-Vasisht Vinod Cheruka (Kar) bt 13- Basil L Khuma (WB) 2-6, 6-1, 6-4; Manish (TN) bt Raghav Jai Singhani (MP) 6-0, 7-5. Girls’ singles: 15-Sathwika Sama (AP) bt 1-Simran Kaur Seth (Del) 6-4, 6-2; 9-Abinikka R (TN) bt 3-Devanshi Bhimjiyani (Mah) 6-3, 6-2; 4-Zeel Desai (Guj) bt Rishika Ravi (TN) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3; 16-Ramya N (TN) bt 2-Vanshika Sawhney (Del) 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2.