Advertisement

Help
You are here: Rediff Home » India » Sports » Tennis » PTI > Report
Search:  Rediff.com The Web
Advertisement
  Discuss this Article   |      Email this Article   |      Print this Article

Sipaeya, Lakhani clinch titles
Get Sports updates:What's this?
Advertisement
October 22, 2005 22:14 IST

Top seeds Sunil Kumar Sipaeya and Isha Lakhani clinched the men's and women's singles titles respectively at the DSCL Open National Tennis Championships on Saturday.

Sipaeya overcame a stiff challenge from Ashutosh Singh, seeded fourth, to post a 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory in the final, while Lakhani won 6-1, 7-6 over second seed Sonal Phadke at the R K Khanna stadium in Delhi.

With neither man willing to concede a quarter, the men's final witnessed some exciting tennis.

The first set went with serve till Sipaeya broke in the ninth game, before closing it out 6-4.

In the second, Sipaeya broke Singh twice, in the first and third games, while Singh managed to break the top seed once. However, Sipaeya held on to go two sets up.

Singh played with more purpose when he converted the fifth break point to go up 2-0 in the third set. The underdog was in trouble in the fifth game when he had to save a break point. He did well to hold on to avoid a straight set loss.

However, Singh, showing signs of fatigue, was broken in the fourth game of the fourth set which enabled Sipaeya take a 3-1 lead.

The experienced campaigner did not waste much time from thereon and went on to seal the title after two hours and 45 minutes.

"I am happy to win the Nationals after a six-year break. It will do good to my confidence," said a delighted Sipaeya, who became richer by Rs 100,000.



© Copyright 2008 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.
 Email this Article      Print this Article

© 2008 Rediff.com India Limited. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer | Feedback