Vasisht, Mayukh in title round of AITA tennis

Karnataka top seed Vasisht V. Cheruku blasted his way to the boys Under-18 singles final in the M.P. Prakash Memorial AITA Championship Series tennis here Thursday to set up a title clash against Uttarakhand's Mayukh Rawat.

The 16-year-old trainee of former Davis Cupper Prahlad Srinath, Vasisht demolished fifth seed Raghav Jaisinghani of Madhya Pradesh 6-3, 6-2 while Mayukh beat Rishi Reddy of Karnataka 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.

In the Under-16 singles semifinals, fourth seed Sai Pranav Ponaka failed to capitalise on his chances in the first set and went down to top seed Raghav Jaisinghani 6-7(5), 1-6. Raghav takes on the second seed N. Manaz, who beat third seed Pranash Babu 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 in an all Tamil Nadu semifinal.

Top seed Rashmika Rajan of Karnataka, who trailed 1-4 in the first set, rallied to beat third seed Shivani Amineni of Andhra Pradesh 7-5, 6-2 in the girls Under-16 semifinal.

The prospect of an all-Karnataka final was dashed when an indisposed Shivani Manjanna a gave walk over to Shrivalli Rashmika of Andhra Pradesh in the other semifinal.

Eighth seed Harsha Sai Challa of Andhra Pradesh stopped Nikita Pinto of Karnataka at 6-4, 6-3 in the Under-18 semi-final and will meet sixth seed Mahak Jain of Maharashtra, who beat Sai Dedeepya of Andhra Pradesh 6-1, 7-5.

Semifinal results:

Boys Under-18 singles: Vasisht V. Cheruku bt Raghav Jaisinghani 6-3, 6-2; Mayuk Rawat bt Rishi Reddy 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.

Boys Under-16 singles: N. Manaz bt Pranash Babu 2-6, 6-1, 6-4; Raghav Jaisinghani bt Sai Pranav Ponaka 7-6(5), 6-1.

Girls Under-18 singles: Harsha Sai Challa bt Nikita Pinto 6-4, 6-3; Mahak Jain bt Sai Dedeepya 6-1, 7-5.

Girls Under-16 singles: Rashmika Rajan bt Shivani Amineni 7-5, 6-2; Shrivalli Rashmika w/o Shivani Manjanna.