Qualifier Bava wins national ranking tennis title

Qualifier Haadin Bava won his maiden title here after surviving three keenly-contested sets against Shahbaaz Khan in the final of the All-India Ranking Men's Tennis Tournament at the Solaris Club here Friday.

A few weeks after triumphing in Thrissur, Kerala, the 12th standard student of Dnyan Kendra College, Mumbai, Bava laid claim to yet another trophy. Bava won 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 in two and a half hours.

Throughout the week after making it to the main draw from the qualifiers, Bava had been playing good tennis. After having beaten third seed Nitten Kirrtane and top seed Abdullah Shaikh, respectively in the quarter-finals and semis, Bava faced his toughest competitor in Shahbaaz.

It was Shahbaaz who took the initiative first when he broke Bava in the first game of the opening set before both players held their service games. Mumbai's Shahbaaz won the first set but Bava did not give up easily.

Bava improved his service a tad better that saw the second set going into the tie-breaker. Bava took the tie-breaker 7-3 as Shahbaaz missed some crucial points.

Going into the decider, Bava showed much maturity as against Shahbaaz. The two knew each others' game too well but it was Bava who kept his cool and played brilliantly under pressure. He broke Shahbaaz in the seventh and ninth games to win the set and the title.

Bava received Rs.13,000 and 15 All India Tennis Association (AITA) points while the runner-up settled for Rs.9,000 and 10 AITA points.

Final result: Q-Haadin Bava (Mah) bt Shahbaaz Khan (Mah) 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-4.