Indian sports activities news wrap, March 26

TENNIS

Donskoy headlines singles area at ITF Mysuru Open 2023

The metropolis of Mysuru will witness thrilling tennis motion as Evgeny Donskoy will headline the singles most important draw, which additionally consists of eight Indians, on the ITF Mysuru Open 2023, scheduled on the Mysuru Tennis Club from March 27 to April 2. 

The USD 25,000 occasion—hosted by the Karnataka Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA), additionally marks the return of ITF tennis to Mysuru after eight years. India’s Ramkumar Ramanathan emerged because the winner when Mysuru hosted an ITF event, an F6 Futures, final time in 2015.

“Mysuru has always been a premier centre for tennis in India and we are happy to bring a top-level ITF tennis tournament after eight years. I am certain that the event will go a long way in inspiring youth and furthering the development of tennis in the city as well as in Karnataka. We are confident of conducting a successful tournament here that will also be an enjoyable experience for the fans,” mentioned Maheshwar Rao, Hon. Secretary of KSLTA. 

The 32-year-old Donskoy, who was as soon as ranked 65 on the planet, made the headlines in 2017 when he earned the largest win of his profession by beating tennis nice Roger Federer in Dubai. The Russian additionally has wins over prime tennis stars Daniil Medvedev and Canadian big-server Milos Raonic earlier than they broke into the Top 10.

The event will even see different prime worldwide gamers together with Vietnam’s Ly Hoang Nam, a World No. 245, and USA’s Oliver Crawford. 

“It is an honour to be associated with the tournament where a clutch of top tennis stars from India and other nations are participating. I take pride in welcoming Sporting Ambassadors from 15 countries to Mysuru. Mysuru has a strong history of tennis players with its local lad, Prahalad Srinath, going on to represent the country during the Davis Cup. I wish such kinds of events will attract more youth to take up sports and bring pride to the country. I am confident that Mysuru, a city of sports aficionados, will see more such events in the future which will firmly cement the status of the city as a premier sporting hub,” mentioned Dr KV Rajendra, Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru and the chairman of the organising committee.

India No. 2 Mukund Sasikumar will lead the problem for the hosts as Ramkumar, Sidharth Rawat, Digvijay Pratap Singh, Manish Sureshkumar, Niki Poonacha, and Karan Singh will even be vying for the title. 

Mysuru participant SD Prajwal Dev too can be eyeing an ITF title after his good runs in latest occasions. There can be extra native illustration as Mysore lads Manish Ganesh and R Suraj Prabodh had been handed wildcard entries to the singles most important draw. Bengaluru lad Rishi Reddy too has acquired a wild card entry into the singles most important draw. Gujarat’s Madhwin Kamath additionally made his option to the primary draw by means of wildcard entry.

Sri Lanka’s Dharaka Ellawala has been appointed because the ITF Supervisor, whereas Peter Vijay Kumar would be the event director.

Ellawala, who’s concerned in officiating for nicely over a decade, is a ‘Silver Badge’ accredited referee, a uncommon honour awarded by the ITF.

The singles qualifiers can be performed on March 26 and 27, whereas the primary draw will start on March 28. 

-Team Sportstar

25000 USD ITF Men’s Tournament: Donskoy wins title after beating Vanshelboim

Evgeny Donskoy made it two in a row as he gained the title, beating Eric Vanshelboim 6-2, 7-5 within the closing of the $25,000 ITF males’s tennis event on the Ekaana Sports Complex on Sunday.

Donskoy had earlier gained the title in Delhi final week. In successful his second successive event, the previous world No.65, Donskoy didn’t drop a set, aside from the primary spherical in opposition to Digvijay Pratap Singh.

Donskoy will try to carry out a hat-trick as he could be competing within the subsequent event in Mysuru, from Tuesday.

The outcomes (closing): Evgeny Donskoy bt Eric Vanshelboim (Ukr) 6-2, 7-5.

-Team Sportstar

Miami Open: Bopanna-Ebden duo crashes out in first spherical

Rohan Bopanna, seeded sixth with Matthew Ebden of Australia, was crushed 7-5, 4-6, [10-4] by Kevin Krawietz and Fabrice Martin within the doubles first spherical of the $8,800,000 ATP tennis event in Miami USA.

Fresh from the title triumph in Indian Wells, it was a setback for the Indo-Aussie pair which needed to be content material with $18,020 and no ATP factors.

In the Challenger in Les Franqueses Del Valles, Spain, third seeded Anirudh Chandrasekar and Vijay Sundar Prashanth beat the fourth seeds Purav Raja and Divij Sharan 7-5, 6-1 within the doubles closing.

It was the second Challenger doubles title for Anirudh and Vijay following the one in Pune.

-Team Sportstar

GOLF

Ahlawat greatest Indian at eighth in Hong Kong, rookie Taichi Kho wins title

 India’s Veer Ahlawat shot a strong four-under 66 to complete tied eighth on the inaugural World City Championship right here on Sunday.

With rounds of 71-67-66, Ahlawat totalled six-under 204 within the weather-hit event that was lowered to 3 rounds to file one other Top-10 end.

While Ahlawat was the best-placed Indian, Taichi Kho made historical past by turning into the primary participant from Hong Kong to win an Asian Tour occasion.

Kho, who solely turned skilled in January, gained by two pictures from New Zealand’s Michael Hendry on one other moist day on the Hong Kong Golf Club.

Among different Indians, S Chikkarangappa was the subsequent greatest as he closed with 70 for five-under 205 and was tied 18th. Gaganjeet Bhullar (66) completed tied twenty fourth, whereas Shiv Kapur (69) was tied thirty first.

Jeev Milkha Singh and SSP Chawrasia each shot 71 every and completed at two-under 208 and had been tied thirty ninth. Karandeep Kochhar (70) was tied forty fifth, whereas Honey Baisoya (77) ended tied seventieth.

Ahlawat had 5 birdies in opposition to one bogey in his 66 and it was his greatest card of the week.

The 22-year-old Kho closed with an even-par 70 to complete the event with a complete of 12 underneath, and likewise safe one of many 4 spots up for grabs on this 12 months’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in July.

Hendry shot a 68, whereas Australian Travis Smyth returned a 66 to complete third, three behind Kho. Korean Bio Kim (65) and Miguel Tabuena (72) from the Philippines tied for fourth, a shot additional again.

Hendry, Smyth and Kim additionally made it by means of to The Open, the place Kho will even turn out to be the primary Hong Kong Chinese participant to compete within the sport’s oldest and most prestigious Major. Kim secured his berth forward of Tabuena because of a greater world rating.

This is just Kho’s third occasion as knowledgeable on the Asian Tour as he made it by means of the Tour’s Qualifying School in January.

The Asian Tour now has a two-week break earlier than the inaugural International Series Vietnam at KN Golf Links from April 13 to 16.

-PTI

Chouhan’s fabulous 65 earns him first worldwide title at Duncan Taylor Black Bull Challenge

India’s Om Prakash Chouhan confirmed nerves of metal, firing a seven-under 65 on the ultimate day to earn his first worldwide title on the USD 300,000 Duncan Taylor Black Bull Challenge right here on Sunday.

The 36-year-old completed two pictures forward of the remainder of the sphere a lot to the delight of the house crowd on the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) golf course right here.

Chouhan (70-67-66-65), who hails from Mhow in Madhya Pradesh, fired the final day’s greatest rating to whole 20-under 268 for the week whereas joint runners-up Ashley Chesters (67-68-68-67) of England and Victor Pastor (72-64-67-67) of Spain had a tally of 18-under 270.

Aman Raj (67-68-71-70) took tied eighth place at 12-under 276 to complete because the second Indian within the top-10 on the occasion co-sanctioned by the European Challenge Tour and PGTI.

Chouhan’s eighth skilled win helped him safe his Challenge Tour card and declare his greatest ever prize cash cheque of USD 48,000 (Rs 39,84,000) that in flip catapulted him from sixteenth to first place within the TATA Steel PGTI Rankings with season’s earnings of Rs 44,52,750.

Among the opposite notable data set on Sunday, Chouhan grew to become the third Indian to win on the Challenge Tour following the likes of Gaganjeet Bhullar (gained in 2011) and Shiv Kapur (gained two titles in 2013).

It was additionally the primary win by an Indian on Indian soil since Khalin Joshi’s triumph on the Panasonic Open India in October 2018. Chouhan additionally equalled Udayan Mane’s 2017 file for the bottom successful whole at KGA.

Chouhan, a winner of seven PGTI titles previously, saved his greatest spherical for the final day as he went error-free with three birdies on the front-nine and 4 extra on the back-nine.

On the front-nine, Chouhan hit his wedges shut on a few events to select up birdies and likewise made an amazing par save on the fifth after discovering the water hazard.

After a birdie on the twelfth and salvaging a great par on the 14th, Chouhan sank an important 10-feet birdie conversion on the fifteenth to attract degree with Ashley Chesters who was the chief for many a part of the day.

Chouhan then extracted a birdie from a troublesome place on the seventeenth as he drained one other lengthy putt. An unruffled Chouhan, who turned professional in 2002, lastly noticed it residence in fashion with a 10-feet birdie conversion on the 18th.

“I’m thrilled. It’s a huge achievement for me as I had never won an international title previously. I definitely have plans to play on the Challenge Tour in Europe now. This win opens a lot of doors for me,” Chouhan mentioned.

“I just wanted to focus on my strengths and my game and not drop any shots. I had targeted a seven-under at the start of the round.

“I’ve worked a lot on the mental aspect of my game lately. That has brought a lot of improvement in my game. In the past, if I dropped shots or made mistakes early in the round, I would generally start playing more aggressively. But now, I don’t let the errors affect my game too much.” Ashley Chesters (67) had a bogey-free day whereas Victor Pastor (67) made six birdies and a bogey because the duo couldn’t meet up with Chouhan within the closing phases.

M Dharma (70), taking part in at his residence course, completed tied twenty first with a complete of nine-under 279.

-PTI