TENNIS

ATP Seoul Challenger: Mukund Sasikumar loses in opening spherical

Mukund Sasikumar misplaced within the opening spherical of the ATP Challenger Tour occasion in Seoul on Wednesday.

Mukund went down 4-6, 7-6(11), 0-6 to fellow qualifier Yasutaka Uchiyama of Japan in two hours 35 minutes.

READ - Bopanna on 2023 Asian Games: Happy to partner singles specialists like Ramkumar or Nagal

The fourth-seeded pair of Anirudh Chandrasekar and N Vijay Sundar Prashanth misplaced 7-5, 3-6, [6-10] to Canadian-Australian duo of Gabriel Diallo and Aleksandar Vukic.

However, Arjun Kadhe and Purav Raja progressed to the quarterfinals with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Ecuador’s Emilio Gomez and USA’s Brandon Holt.

At the Challenger occasion in Rome, third-seeded duo Yuki Bhambri-Saketh Myneni progressed to the quarterfinals after Italians Francesco Forti and Francesco Maestrelli gave a walkover.

RESULTS

ATP Rome Challenger

Doubles, First Round: [3] Yuki Bhambri/Saketh Myneni bt Francesco Forti/Francesco Maestrelli (ITA) by way of walkover

ATP Seoul Challenger

Singles, First Round: [Q] Yasutaka Uchiyama bt [Q] Mukund Sasikumar 6-4, 6-7(11), 6-0

Doubles, First Round: Arjun Kadhe/Purav Raja bt Emilio Gomez (ECU)/Brandon Holt (USA) 6-2, 6-4; Gabriel Diallo (CAN)/Aleksandar Vukic (AUS) bt [4] Anirudh Chandrasekar/N Vijay Sundar Prashanth 5-7, 6-3, [10-6]

ITF W40 Calvi

Singles, First Round: Naiktha Bains (GBR) bt [8] Ankita Raina 7-6(5), 6-4

ITF M25 Jakarta

Singles, First Round: [4] Digvijay Pratap Singh bt [Q] Credit Chaiyarin (THA) 3-3 retd.; M Rifqi Fitriadi (INA) bt S D Prajwal Dev 6-4, 6-1

Doubles, First Round: [2] Parikshit Somani/Ray Ho (TPE) bt S D Prajwal Dev/Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul (THA) 6-4, 3-6, [10-7]

ITF W25 Nottingham

Singles, First Round: [8] Rutuja Bhosale bt Jia-Jing Lu (CHN) 6-4, 6-4

ITF W15 Monastir

Singles, First Round: [Q] Vaishnavi Adkar bt [Q] Jiaqi Wang (CHN) 6-3, 6-2; [Q] Delia Gaillard (FRA) bt [4] Jennifer Luikham 7-6(9), 7-6(2)

- Team Sportstar

AITA girls’s event: Vanshika Choudhary reaches semifinal

Vanshika Choudhary sustained her good run and located her well beyond Samriti Punyani 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 within the quarterfinals of the Rs. 100,000 AITA girls’s tennis event on the Joygaon Academy on Wednesday.

Vanshika, who had overwhelmed high seed Sandeepti Singh Rao in straight units within the pre-quarterfinals, will play fifth seed Sonal Patil within the semifinals. The different semifinal will likely be between second seed Sahira Singh and third seed Kashish Bhatia.

In doubles, Aditi Rawat and Ishi Maheshwari made the semifinals by beating second seeds Divya Bhardwaj and Shefali Arora 6-2, 7-5.

Results (quarterfinals):

Singles: Vanshika Choudhary bt Samriti Punyani 3-6, 6-0, 6-2; Sonal Patil bt Prapti Soni 6-0, 6-1; Kashish Bhatia bt Medhavi Singh 7-5, 6-0; Sahira Singh bt Shireen Ahamed 6-4, 6-3.

Doubles: Medhavi Singh & Shireen Ahamed bt Riya Mardaraj & Aarushi Raval 6-2, 7-5; Sonal Patil & Chandana Potugari bt Sahira Singh & Anahat Pannu 7-5, 2-6, [10-8]; Kashish Bhatia & Samriti Punyani bt Poorvi Bhatt & Ritu Rai 6-0, 6-3; Aditi Rawat & Ishi Maheshwari bt Divya Bhardwaj & Shefali Arora 6-2, 7-5.

-Kamesh Srinivasan

AITA tremendous sequence juniors: Aarjun Pandit beat Kunsh Kakkar to succeed in semifinal

Third seed Aarjun Pandit pipped Kunsh Kakkar 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(6) within the under-18 boys quarterfinals of the Rajesh Patel Memorial AITA tremendous sequence junior tennis event on the Tennis Vidyalaya on Wednesday.

In the ladies part, Divya Sharma fought her well beyond Samaira Kohli 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 within the quarterfinals.

Results (quarterfinals):

Under-18 boys: Deepam Malik bt Ananya Gohari 6-1, 6-2; Mayank Sharma bt Varun Singh 7-5, 6-2; Aarjun Pandit bt Kunsh Kakkar 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(6); Rian Sharma bt Arnav Yadav 6-3, 6-2.

Under-18 women: Tamanna Takoria bt Nafeesa Zafar 6-0, 6-0; Divya Sharma bt Samaira Kohli 5-7, 6-4, 6-2; Neelakshi bt Khushi Gaur 6-3, 6-1; Presha Shanthamoor bt Kaavya Nayyar 6-2, 6-3.

-Kamesh Srinivasan

MOTORSPORT

Jaden turns into solely Indian in six years to complete on podium in British F4

Young Indian racer Jaden Pariat of Argenti Motorsport displayed his expertise by ending on the rostrum within the first spherical of the ROKiT British F4 Championship at Donington Park in Leicestershire.

He is barely the second Indian to get a world podium in a Tatuus F4 automotive after Kush Maini in 2017.

“The podium is being hailed as a big milestone for the younger generation looking to break-through to higher levels of Formula racing. We are overwhelmed by the congratulatory messages and thank everyone who stood by us,” mentioned Atikur Rehman, a former Indian nationwide rally star and the drive behind Jaden, who final yr took a rookie podium in one of many two rounds he took half.

Showing good tempo, {the teenager} from Northeast India, hopes to impress in his first full yr within the sequence.

Joined by fortunate Lyca Radio competitors winners who loved VIP entry to the British F4 paddock, Jaden took a podium and didn't disappoint his company.

- PTI

GOLF

Avani grabs lead at Asian Games trials, Khalin in entrance amongst males

Avani Prashanth carded a shocking 6-under 66 to maneuver to the highest after the second spherical of the Indian Golf Union-run Asian Games golf trials right here.

Amateur Avani, who turned the primary Indian in additional than 4 many years to win the person honours on the queen Sirikit Cup in February, rose from a 2-under 70 within the first spherical to get to 8-under 136 on the Royal Calcutta Golf Club.

Avani was adopted by one other Karnataka golfer, Pranavi Urs, who adopted up her first spherical 70 with a 5-under 67 and moved into second place at 7-under 137 and was one shot behind Avani.

In the lads’s part, Khalin Joshi maintained his high spot as Karnataka golfers dominated the day. Khalin added 68 to his first spherical 67. At 9-under 135 he's two pictures away from the 2016 Olympian SSP Chawrasia (69-68) and the in-form Aman Raj (69-68) who're tied second at 7-under 137 every.

Two spots every are up for grabs within the males’s and ladies’s part as Aditi Ashok amongst girls and Anirban Lahiri and Shubhankar Sharma amongst males are slated to get automated spots for the Asian Games to be held in China in September-October. Avani had 4 birdies and one bogey on both sides of the RCGC. She had 4 birdies in six holes between the fourth and the ninth on the entrance 9 after which birdied eleventh and added three in a row from thirteenth to fifteenth.

Pranavi had a modest even par 36 on the entrance 9 however sizzled on the again 9 with three birdies and an eagle for 5-under 31. Pranavi has postponed the beginning of her season on the Epson Tour within the US to play the trials.

Khalin Joshi performed a bogey-free 68 and stayed in entrance as Chawrasia, enjoying on his residence course, had a run of three birdies in a row in the course of the spherical and he had 5 birdies towards one bogey in his 68.

Aman Raj, who gained as soon as on the PGTI earlier this season and had two Top-10 finishes in European Challenge Tour occasions in Bengaluru, additionally had three birdies in a row from eighth to tenth and total had six birdies and two bogeys.

The 2010 Asian Games crew silver medallist, Rashid Khan (69-69) was sole fourth, whereas Yuvraj Sandhu (69-70) and Ajeetesh Sandhu (68-71) had been tied fifth. Overnight chief amongst girls Amandeep Drall, dropped on the second day regardless of 2-under 70. Amandeep is now 6-under 138 and mendacity third, whereas Tvesa Malik, seeking to regain her type, added 69 to her first spherical 70 and was fourth at 5-under 139.

Diksha Dagar (69-74), beginning the day at second, slipped on the second day and is now fifth at 1-under 143 and Vani Kapoor (76-69) is sixth at even par 144.

-PTI

Gandas, Shubhankar gear up for Korea Championship

Manu Gandas will be a part of Shubhankar Sharma for the Korea Championships because the DP World Tour returns to the nation for the primary time in a decade.

Gandas, winner of the Indian PGTI Order of Merit in 2022, which earned him full enjoying rights on the DP World Tour, has now made seven begins on the Tour with modest outcomes as he has made the reduce in three of them with tied twenty eighth end on the Thailand Classic being his greatest.

“It has been a tremendous experience playing with some of the best names in Europe and on so many different courses,” mentioned Gandas, who can also be seeking to play because the season strikes to Europe subsequent month.

“I am gaining a lot of experience and am slowly finding my feet on the DP World Tour. I had a good outing in Thailand, where I played all four rounds under par.

“At some of the other events, it has sometimes been close, but as the season gets on I am sure it will get better,” added Gandas, who performed plenty of junior and beginner golf with Sharma.

Meanwhile Sharma after an outstanding Top-10 end in Abu Dhabi in January has not been capable of seize that type besides when he was tied for thirteenth on the Hero Indian Open.

“It’s a long season, and I am sure things will get better,” mentioned Sharma lately.

Poland’s Adrian Meronk, the primary golfer from his nation to play on the Augusta National on the Masters earlier this month, is hoping to construct on an thrilling season that has included his second DP World Tour victory.

-PTI

India’s Chouhan to tee up in Abu Dhabi Challenge

Om Prakash Chouhan, who registered an excellent win in his maiden look at a European Challenge Tour occasion final month, will make his first abroad look when he tees up on the Abu Dhabi Challenge at Abu Dhabi Golf Club from Thursday.

Chouhan, a seasoned participant on the home Tour again in India, gained the Duncan Taylor Black Bull Challenge in Bengaluru when the Challenge Tour returned to India after a decade.

The win has given Chouhan full enjoying rights on the Challenge Tour until the tip of 2024.

Chouhan can also be aiming to attempt to get one of many 20 playing cards which can be obtainable to the highest Challenge Tour gamers on the finish of the season. With one win in his bag, Chouhan is ninth on the Order of Merit.

Chouhan will play the primary spherical with Zimbabwean Benjamin Follet-Smith, who gained the season’s first Challenge Tour occasion in South Africa, and Italy’s Lorenzo Scalise, who has completed in Top-5 3 times on Challenge Tour this season.

The Challenge Tour returns to the UAE for the primary time since 2018 as a part of the long-term partnership between the European Tour group and Emirates Golf Federation.

The discipline in Abu Dhabi this week has 19 former DP World Tour winners together with seven-time DP World Tour winner Álvaro Quirós and five-time winner David Howell.

-PTI