India’s Sidharth Rawat enters pre-quarterfinals at ITF Mysuru Open

NT Correspondent

Mysuru: India’s Sidharth Rawat outclassed Dali Blanch of USA 6-3, 6-2 to storm into the men’s singles pre-quarterfinals at the ITF Mysuru Open here on Tuesday.

 Rawat, the seventh seed, was clinical in his execution and used his serve to good effect. The Indian had a stunning 100 percent success rate on his first serve, while he collected 95 percent of points on his second serve as well en route to a facile win. Three other Indians -- Ishaque Eqbal, Faisal Qamar and Karan Singh -- too entered the round of 16.

While Ishaque beat R Suraj Prabodh 7-6 (4), 6-0, Faisal got the better of Rishi Reddy 6-1, 6-1 and Karan tamed Grigoriy Lomakin of Kazhakistan 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (3) at the Mysore Tennis Club here. The USD 25,000 event is being hosted by the Karnataka Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA). Indian players made their mark in style in the doubles round of 16 as well.

Leading the charge for the hosts were the top seeded pair of B Rithvik Choudary and Niki Poonacha as they had little trouble in warding off compatriots SD Prajwal Dev and G Sai Karteek Reddy 6-7 (3), 7-6 (6), 10-7 after a gruelling match of 1 hour and 58 minutes to enter the quarter-finals. Fourth seeded pair of Parikshit Somani and Manish Sureshkumar too registered an easy win over fellow Indian duo of Tushar Madan and Lohithaksha Bathrinath 6-2, 6-3.

Results Singles:

(R32): Ishaque Eqbal beat Suraj R Prabodh 7-6 (4), 6-0; Faisal Qamar beat Rishi Reddy 6-1, 6-1; Woobin Shin beat Madhwin Kamath 6-1, 1-0 (retired); (7) Sidharth Rawat beat Dali Blanch 6-3, 6-2; Karan Singh beat Grigoriy Lomakin 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (3); Wei Kang Leong beat Sandesh Dattatray 7-5, 6-1

Results Doubles:

(R16) Nitin Kumar Sinha / Florent Bax beat Digvijay Pratap Singh / Jagmeet Singh 6-3, 6-2; (4) Parikshit Somani / Manish Suresh Kumar beat Tushar Madan / Lohithaksha Bathrinath 6-2, 6-3 ; (1) B Rithvik Choudary / Niki Poonacha / SD Prajwal Dev / G Sai Karteek Reddy 6-7 (3), 7-6 (6), 10-7; Ellis Blake / Oriov Vladylav beat R Suraj Prabodh / Rishi Reddy 6-1, 6-2; F Qamar / F Quamar beat Chandril Sood / Lakshit Sood 1-6, 6-4, 10-8; Mukund Sasikumar / Vishnu Vardhan beat Casey Francis Alcantra / Pruchya Isaro 6-3, 6-2.