Vardhan knocks out Mukund in Mandya tennis

Former Davis Cupper and Olympian Vishnu Vardhan shut out No.4 seed Sasi Kumar Mukund 6-4, 6-4 to storm into the semi-finals of the Men's ITF Futures Mandya Open tennis tournament here on Thursday.

Eighth seed Vardhan will take on top ranked Antoine Escoffier of France, who scripted a clinical 7-5, 6-4 victory over Chinese Taipei's Jui-Chen Jung in the top half of the draw.

In a battle between unseeded players, Lucknow's Ronit Singh Bist overcame Delhi's Sidarth Rawat in a gruelling three-setter 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (4), the match lasting two hours and 33 minutes.

Bist will take on No.3 seed Karunuday Singh, who staved off the challenge of seventh seed Vinayak Sharma Kaza 7-6 (3), 6-4.

The doubles final, to be played on Friday will see second seeds Avnit Bendre and Akash Wagh battling it out with the Indo-Chinese Taipei pair of Sasi Kumar Mukun and Jui-Chen Hung.

Bendre and Wagh rallied from a set deficit to defeat Haadin Bava and Tejas Chaukulkar 3-6, 6-3, 10-7 while Hung and Mukund lost the second set tie-breaker after winning the first and then called the shots in the decider winning 6-2, 6-7(5), 10-6.

Results (Prefix denotes seeding, Indians unless stated):

Singles (Quarter-finals): 8-Vishnu Vardhan bt 4-Sasi Kumar Mukund 6-4, 6-4; 1-Antoine Escoffier (Fra) bt 6-Jui-Chen Hung (Tpe) 7-5, 6-4; Ronit Kumar Bist bt Sidarth Rawat 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (4); 3-Karunuday Singh bt 7-Vinayak Sharma Kaza 7-6 (3), 6-4.

Doubles (Semi-finals): 2-Anvit Bendre / Akash Wagh bt Haadin Bava / Tejas Chaukulkar 3-6, 6-3, 10-7; Jui-Chen Hung (Tpe)/ Sasi Kumar Mukund bt 2-Chandril Sood / Lakshit Sood 6-2, 6-7 (5), 10-6.