Host Odisha players Debasis Sahoo and Sohini Sanjay Mohanty finished boys singles and girls doubles runners-up respectively in the ITF World Tennis Tour J30 Bhubaneswar Tournament, which concluded at Kalinga Stadium Tennis Centre in Bhubaneswar today.
Third seed Praneel Sharma (India) won the boys singles crown, defeating top seed Debasis Sahoo in the final 6-4, 7-5. Sahoo also participated in the boys doubles event with statemate Aditya Bikram Acharya, but only to bow out in the first round.
Local favourite Sohini Mohanty settled as girls doubles runners-up with Indian partner Aakruti Sonkusare Narayan after going down to the top-seeded Indo-US combination of Laxmisiri Dandu and Priyanka Rana in the title clash 7-6(4), 4-6, 3-10. Odisha duo Sohini and Aahan also reached quarterfinals in girls singles before suffering defeats.
Priyanka Rana (USA) clinched a double crown by emerging girls singles champion as well. The boys doubles title went to Ojas Mehlawat and Adhiraj Thakur who defeated Rohith Hari Balaji Gobinath and Thirumurugan Viswanathan in the all-Indians final 6-3, 6-2.
The five-day J30 Bhubaneswar, which is the lowest of six levels of ITF World Tour Junior (U-18) Tournaments, was organised by Odisha Tennis Association (OTA) with the support of the Government of Odisha and under the auspices of All India Tennis Association (AITA).
A total of 115 players from five countries vied for honours in four events. Among a total of eight foreign players, five were from the USA and one each from Bangladesh, Nepal and Canada. As many as 10 players from Odisha got the opportunity to compete in this tournament. Among them six secured berths in the main draw.
OTA president Asit Tripathy, secretary Satyajit Mohanty, joint-secretary Sanjeeb Panda and State Sports Department director Sidharth Das graced the closing ceremony as guests and presented the trophies. Prabin Kumar Nayak from Odisha was the ITF supervisor.
Foreign players (8): Shourya Bhattacharya, Rayaansh Das, Priyanka Rana, Avyaktha Rayavarapu, Aditi Khanapuri (all USA); Saksham Bikram Shah (Nepal), Mahfuz Al Mahdi (Bangladesh), Jasraj Singh Jagdev (Canada).
PERFORMANCE OF ODISHA PLAYERS:
Boys singles:
1. Debasis Sahoo (Odisha) beat Aarav Chawla (India) 6-3, 6-4 in 1st round; beat Ashwajit Senjam (India) 6-2, 4-0 (Rtd) in 2nd round; beat Tanussh Ghildyal (India) 7-5, 6-1 in quarterfinals; beat Aashravya Mehra (India) 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(3) in semifinals; lost to Praneel Sharma (India) 4-6, 5-7 in final.
2. Aditya Bikram Acharya (WC, Odisha) lost to Tanussh Ghildyal (India) 2-6, 2-6 in 1st round.
3. Aahaan Mishra (WC, Odisha) lost to Parth Deorukhakar (India) 0-6, 0-6 in 1st round.
Girls singles:
1. Sohini Sanjay Mohanty (2nd seed, Odisha) beat Gurleen Kaur Khanujia (India) 6-0, 6-2 in 1st round; beat Parthsarthi Arun Mundhe (India) 6-4, 7-5 in 2nd round; lost to Saumya Ronde (India) 2-6, 2-6 in quarterfinals.
2. Aahan (WC, Odisha) beat Akansha Ghosh (India) 6-1, 6-4 in 1st round; beat Aishwarya Jadhav (India) 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 in 2nd round; lost to top seed Laxmisiri Dandu (India) 4-6, 4-6 in quarterfinals.
3. Avipsha Dehury (WC, Odisha) beat Pal Upadhyay (India) 7-6(6), 6-4 in 1st round; lost to Prisha Nikhil Shinde (India) 4-6, 2-6 in 2nd round.
Boys doubles: Debasis Sahoo-Aditya Bikram Acharya (Odisha) lost to Rohith Hari Balaji Gobinath-Thirumurugan Viswanathan (India) 5-7, 6-7(6) in 1st round.
Girls doubles:
1. Sohini Mohanty-Aakruti Sonkusare Narayan (India) beat Gurleen Kaur Khanujia-Vanya Srivastav (India) 6-0, 6-3 in 1st round; beat Meghana GD-Kashvi Sunil (India) 6-1, 6-2 in quarterfinals; beat Aishwarya Jadhav-Mahika Khanna (India) 6-0, 6-1 in semifinals; lost to Laxmisiri Dandu-Priyanka Rana (India-USA) 7-6(4), 4-6, 3-10 in final.
2. Aahan-Akansha Ghosh (India) beat Angel Patel-Shagun Kumari (India) 6-1, 7-5 in 1st round; lost to top seed Laxmisiri Dandu-Priyanka Rana (India-USA) 6-0, 4-6, 7-10 in quarterfinals.
3. Avipsha Dehury-Suryanshi Shekhawat (India) lost to Ishi Maheshwari-Saumya Ronde (India) 1-6, 3-6 in 1st round.
Qualifiers:
Boys singles: Subhranil Barman, Sai Swastik Mohanty (both lost in first round).
Girls singles: Krishna Raj (lost in first round), Sanvi Mohanty (lost in second round).
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PHOTO: Title winners, runners-up of ITF World Tennis Tour J30 Bhubaneswar pose with guests at the closing ceremony in Bhubaneswar on 10 May 2024.