August 31, 2006	Thursday	Sha'aban 6, 1427

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

KARACHI, Aug 30: It was yet another day of upsets as two more seeded players were sent packing in boys’ singles quarter-finals of ITF Pakistan World Junior Ranking tennis championship (second leg) at Islamabad Club on Wednesday.

Top seed Krittanu Puthong of Thailand met his waterloo when he was stunned by Pakistan’s rank outsider Khurram Nazir the other day.

India’s unseeded Ronak Mahesh Manuja cruised into last four when he cut second seed Ryan Cheung of the US to size by handing a straight 6-3, 6-4 defeat.

Similarly, Shiva Sangwan, a qualifier from India, also fought his way in pre-final by getting the better of third seed Omer Babar of Pakistan 6-3, 7-5.

The winning run of Pakistan’s Khurram Nazir also came to a halt when he went down to Indian Chandril Sood in three sets grueling match. The latter was home 6-7(3), 6-3, 7-6(5) to propel into semis.

Indian Rahul Balwal accounted for compatriot Akshay Kohli 7-5, 6-1 to make the Thursday’s semi-finals an All-India affair.

Among the girls, seeded players lived up to their billing by making it to the last four grade.

Top seed Prariyawat Ratanakrong of Thailand faced no difficulty in ousting Natasha Afridi 6-1, 6-2. India’s second seed Vishakha Sheoran had a 6-1, 6-1 short work of Saba Aziz.

Third seed Karina Ahuja of India struggled to beat Saana Saarteinen (Finland) 6-4, 7-6(5) while fourth seed Parichart Charoensukployphol of Thailand brushed aside Nandita Krishana of India 6-2, 6-1.

Results:

Boys’ singles: (quarter-finals)

Chandril Sood (Ind) bt Khurram Nazir (Pak) 6-7(3), 6-3, 7-6(5); Rahul Balwal (Ind) bt Akshay Kohli (Ind) 7-5, 6-1; Ronak Mahesh Manuja (Ind) bt Ryan Cheung (US) 6-3, 6-4; Shiva Sangwan (Ind) bt Omer Babar (Pak) 6-3, 7-5.

Boys’ doubles: (first round)

Ronak Mahesh Manuja - Muddappa Appanervanda (Ind) bt Tanveer Ashiq - Yasir Khan (Pak) 7-6(5), 6-4; Ryan Cheung (US) - Krittanu Puthong (Thai) bt Akshay Kohli - Debendra Das (Ind) 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(4); Chandril Sood - Lakshit Sood (Ind) bt Nasir Mushtaq Ahmed - Danish Ahmed (Pak) 6-3, 6-4; Mansingh Athare - Vishesh Deepak Bhatia (Ind) bt Dhruv Gupta - Rahul Belwal (Ind) 5-7, 7-5, 6-4.

Girls’ singles: (quarter-finals)

Karina Ahuja (Ind) bt Saana Saarteinen (Fin) 6-4, 7-6(5); Parichart Charoensukployphol (Thai) bt Nandita Krishana (Ind) 6-2, 6-1; Prariyawat Ratanakrong (Thai) bt Natasha Afridi (Pak) 6-1, 6-2; Vishakha Sheoran (Ind) bt Saba Aziz (Pak) 6-1, 6-1.

Girls’ doubles: (quarter-finals)

Saba Aziz - Anoosha Aslam (Pak) bt Natasha Afridi - Mehak Khokhar (Pak) 6-0, 6-3; Mohana Chintala - Karina Ahuja (Ind) bt Sarah Mahboob Khan (Pak) - Nandita Krishnan (Ind) 6-3,7-6(1).

Thursday’s fixtures: (semi-finals)

Boys’, girls’ singles 10am

Boys’, girls’ doubles 2pm.