National sub-junior championships

Champions Raghav, Aahan and Samarth with Saket Jain, CEO, Fenesta
| Photo Credit: Kamesh Srinivasan

When grit and patience combine with technical fluency and tactical acumen, it is a winning combination as Aahan showed by clinching both the under-16 and 14 girls’ titles in the Fenesta National sub-junior tennis championship at the DLTA Complex on Saturday.

A trainee of coach Santosh Kumar Mallik at the Gurukul Academy in Bhubaneswar, the 14-year-old Aahan won the under-16 title beating Aishwarya Jadhav 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 in a marathon final that lasted more than three and a half hours.

Later, Aahan had enough energy in her legs and lungs to outwit the wiry Parthsarthi Mundhe 6-4, 6-3 for the under-14 title. Aahan dropped only 14 games in all in six matches for the under-14 crown.

The little powerhouse, Aahan had won three matches in the qualifying event, and six matches in the main draw for the under-16 crown. Aishwarya was the only player to take a set off her in the whole tournament.

“Aahan is a gem. A born fighter, she has tremendous potential. We are working on her serve and trying to add more power to her forehand,” said Santosh.

Samarth Sahita, a trainee of coach Shrimal Bhatt at the Altevol Academy in Ahmedabad, was a class act in winning the under-16 boys title, as he beat the athletic Karan Thapa in straight sets.

Raghav Sarode took home the under-14 crown, defeating top seed Aaradhya Mhasde in three sets.

The results: Boys: U-16: Final: Samarth Sahita bt Karan Thapa 6-3, 6-4; Semifinals: Samarth bt Prateek Sheoran 6-3, 6-1; Karan bt Aashravya Mehra 6-2, 6-1; Doubles: Final: Aditya Mor & Samarth bt Hruthik Katakam & Prakaash Sarran 5-7, 6-4, [10-5].

U-14: Final: Raghav Sarode bt Aaradhya Mhasde 7-5, 2-6, 6-4; Semifinals: Aaradhya bt Fazal Ali Meer 6-1, 6-3; Raghav bt Vivaan Bidasaria 6-3, 6-2; Doubles: Final: Aaradhya Mhasde & Daksh Patil bt Vivaan Bidasaria & Yashwin Dahiya 6-3, 6-3.

Girls: U-16: Final: Aahan bt Aishwarya Jadhav 7-5, 2-6, 6-1; Semifinals: Aahan bt Angel Patel 7-5, 6-0; Aishwarya bt Yashika Shokeen 6-4, 6-3; Doubles: Final: Savitha Bhuvneshwaran & Snigdha Kanta bt Akanksha Ghosh & Prachi Malik 6-3, 6-2.

U-14: Final: Aahan bt Parthsarthi Mundhe 6-4, 6-3; Semifinals: Aahan bt Avipsha Dehury 6-1, 6-0; Parthsarthi bt Deepshika Vinayagamurthy 6-2, 6-4.; Doubles: Final: Khushi Kadian & Jensi Khanabar bt A.S.R. Bawyasri & Aahida Singh 6-0, 3-6, [10-7].