07 October 2004	Thursday	21 Shaban 1425

KARACHI, Oct 6: Fourteen-year-old Amita Arudpragasam from Sri Lanka and 16-year-old Su Chit Yee from Myanmar picked up the girls' doubles title in the Subh-e-Nau ITF world ranking juniors tennis championship , when they got the better of Indian pair of Inayat Khosla and Alisha Talwar on Wednesday on the Karachi Gymkhana hard courts.

Earlier in the junior circuit played last week at the Karachi Club Amita and Su beat Inayat and Alisha in the final in three hard fought out sets 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Meeting again in the finals at the Karachi Gymkhana, the Indian girls were rearing to go to even the scores and although they did give a good account of themselves, Amita and Su held a slight edge over their fighting opponents winning this time in two straight sets 6-3, 6-3.

Second seed Jitin Bishnoi from India beat Danish Ahmed 6-4, 6-1, to book his place in the quarterfinal round. Danish went down in the first set 6-4, after posing a few problems to his tall opponent. Jitin however, winning the first set played much better in the second, picking up the set and match 6-1.

Third seed Vijit Sehgal also from India had to bring out his best in finally overcoming the fighting spirit of the Pakistani lad Mohammad Haris Iltifat 6-3, 6-4, while his doubles partner Neil Rajpal from Canada had little difficulty in disposing of the Junior No.2 of Myanmar Zaw Kyaw Naing 6-1, 6-2.

Also going through to the quarterfinals hardly raising a sweat was fourth seed Gursher Harika, who accounted for Pakistan's Arif Matin 6-0, 6-0. But Pakistan had two youngsters forcing their way into the last eight.

Yasir Khan, the younger brother of Pakistan No.1 Aqeel Khan, beat Myanmar's top junior Nyi Nyi Tun 6-4, 6-4 in a match filled with thrills and spills. Also making his way into the quarterfinals was the promising youngster from Quetta, Mohammad Usman Ejaz, who ended the progress of giant killer Daniyal Alvi 6-2, 6-1.

Earlier Daniyal, who had to qualify for the main draw caused quite a stir on the opening day when he toppled the top seed Kirati Siributwong from Thailand in three gruelling sets 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

Kirati won the title at the Karachi Club when he demolished Gursher Harika from India without conceding a game. Peerakit was in stunning form brushing aside the challenge of India's Rajkanwar Singh 6-0, 6-0.other Indian lad in the circuit, beat Syed Raza Abbas, who gave a good account of himself before going down 6-3, 6-1.

In the boys' doubles India's Gursher Harika and Thailand's Peerakit Siributwong made it through to the semifinals after beating Haris Iltifat and Changez Afridi 6-2, 6-2.

Also going thorough to the semifinals were Jitin Bishnoi and Kinshuk Sharma, who had to bring out their very best to overcome the Myanamar pair of Nyi Nyi Tun and Zaw Khaw Naing 7-5, 6-3. Vijit and Neil was another pair that had to play their best in disposing off Ali Abdullah and Amir Khan 7-5, 6-3.

Mohammad Usman Ejaz and Danish Ahmed after beating the Indian pair of Sangwan Shiva and Rajkanwar Singh in a hard fought out first set 7-5, blew up their chances of making it through to the semis, by handing out the next two sets to their Indian opponents on a platter due to several unforced errors finally going down 6-3, 6-4.

FOLLOWING WERE THE RESULTS:

Boys Singles (pre-quarterfinals): Jitin Bishnoi (India) bt Danish Ahmed 6-4, 6-1; Vijit Sehgal (India) bat Mohammad Haris Iltifat) 6-3, 6-4; Gursher Harika (India) bt Arif Matin 6-0, 6-0; Kinshuk Sharma (India) bt Syed Raza Abbas 6-3, 6-1; Neil Rajpal (Canada) bt Zaw Kyaw Naing (Mynamar) 6-1, 6-2; Mohammad Usman Ejaz bt Daniyal Alvi 6-2, 6-0. Peerakit Siributwong (Thailand) bt Rajkanwar Singh (India) 6-0, 6-0; Yasir Khan bt Nyi Nyi Tun (Myanmar) 6-4, 6-4.

Boys Doubles (quarterfinals): Gursher Harika (India)/Peerakit Siributwong (Thailand) bt Mohammad Haris Iltifat/Changez Afridi 6-2, 6-2; Jitin Bishnoi (India)/Kinshuk Sharma (India) bt Nyi Nyi Tun/Zaw Kyaw Naing (Myanmar) bt Amir Khan & Ali Abdullah (Pakistan) 7-5, 6-3; Sangwan Shiva/Rajkanwar Singh (India) bt Danish Ahmed/Mohammad Usman Ejaz 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.

Girls Doubles (semifinals): Amita Arudpragasam (Sri Lanka)/Su Chit Yee (Myanmar) bt Ayesha Haroon/Fiaza Akhtar; Inayat Khosla/Alisha Talwar (India) bt Sara Mansoor/Aley Zehra Mehdi 6-4, 6-0.

Girls Doubles (Final):Amita Arudpragasam (Sri Lanka)/Su Chit Yee (Myanmar) bt Inayat Khosla/ Alisha Talwar (India) 6-3, 6-3.

Following is the order of play for Thursday.

Girls Singles (semifinals)

9-30 a.m.

Amita Arudpragasam (Sri Lanka) v Inayat Khosla (India); Alisha Talwar (India) v Su Chit Yee (Myanmar).

Boys Singles (quarterfinals)

Vijit Sehgal (India) v Neil Rajpal (Canada); Gursher Harika (India) v Kinshuk Sharma (India).

10-30 a.m.

Boys Singles (quarterfinals).

Yasir Khan v Mohammad Usman Ejaz; Jitin Bishnoi (India) v Peerakit Siributwong (Thailand).

2-30 p.m.

Boys Doubles (semifinals): Jitin Bishnoi (India)/Kinshuk Sharma (India) v Sangwan Shiva/Rajkanwar Singh (India); Vijit Sehgal (India/ Neil Rajpal (Canada) v Gursher Harika/ Peerakit Siributwong (Thailand).