Five Indian boys reach last eight in Asian juniors

Five Indian boys, led by top seed Siddhant Banthia, advanced into the singles quarter finals of the HCL Asian Junior Tennis Championships here today along with four girls.
Top seed Banthia had things in control barring the extended second set when getting past Thai qualifier Akanit Pumjit 6-2 7-5 in a boys' singles pre-quarterfinal match.
Also through to the last eight with Banthia were his Indian compatriots Nitin Kumar Sinha, a wild card, seventh seed Dhruv Sunish, Digvijay Pratap Singh and Megh Bhargav Patel who upset second seed J Trotter of Japan.
Barring Patel, who was stretched to three sets by his seeded Japanese rival before closing out the match 2-6 7-5 6-1, others scored straight-set victories over their respective pre quarter final rivals.

Banthia will play against Taipei's Ho Ray, Sinha is lined up against third seed T Ichikawa of Japan, Sunish faces Christian Didier Chin of Malaysia and Patel will cross swords with Digvijay Singh to gain spots in the semis.
In the girls' singles, India's top-seeded Mahak Jain, wild card Salsa Aher, seventh seed Vaidehi Chaudhari and second seed Mihika Yadav made the last eight grade.

Also through were no. 4 seed Lee Kuan Yi of Taipei, fifth seed M Nirundorn of Thailand, along with Mana Kawamura and Funa Kozaki, both of Japan.
The results (Pre quarter finals):
Boys singles: 1-S Banthia (Ind) bt A Pumjit (Thai) Ho 6-3 7-5; Ho Ray (Tpe) bt 5-Seita Watanabe (Jpn) 6-3 6-3; 3-T Ichikawa (Jpn) bt Ho Denton (HKG) 6-1 6-3; Nitin Kumar Sinha (Ind) bt Sacchitt Sharrma (Ind) 7-5 6-3; 7-Dhruv Sunish (Ind) bt K Samrej (Thai) 6-4 6-3; Christian Didieer Chin (Mas) bt 4-Ryuki Mastsuda (Jpn) 7-5 6-1; Digvijay Singh Pratap (Ind) bt 8-P Kovapitukted (Thai) 6-4 6-2; Megh Bhargav Patel (Ind) bt 2-J Trotter (Jpn) 2-6 7-5 6-1.

Girls singles: 1-Mahak Jain (Ind) bt Sakura Hosogi (Jpn) 6-0 6-2; Salsa Aher (Ind) bt Sabhyata Nihalani (Ind) 6-1 3-6 6-3; 4-Lee Kuan Yi (Tpe) bt Tanisha Kashyap (Ind) 3-6 6-2 6-1; 7-Vaidehi Chaudhari bt A Karunaratne (SL) 6-3 2-6 6-2; 5-M Nirundorn (Thai) bt Sama Sathwika (Ind) 4-6 6-3 6-4; Mana Kawamura (Jpn) bt 3-Akansha Bhan (Ind) 6-1 6-3; Funa Kozaki (Jpn) bt 8-Rhea Verma (Ind) 6-3 6-4; 2-Mihika Yadav (Ind) bt Punin Kovapitukted (Thai) 7-5 2-6 6-3.