ITF Junior 2023: Double delight for Laxmisiri, breakthrough win for Aradhya

Add as a preferred source on Google

Bengaluru, Sep 9: The conclusion of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior 2023 J30 contest in Bengaluru on Saturday (September 9) was highlighted by impressive performances. Laxmisiri Dandu achieved an impressive feat by securing a successful double, while Aradhya Kshitij won his first significant title.

Laxmisiri, the sixth seed, claimed her first ITF title by besting Karnataka's Amodini Naik, the tournament's third seed, in a thrilling final and a 7-5, 6-3 victory.

Prior to this, she paired with Durganshi Kumar in the doubles where they proved their worth as the top seeds, defeating fourth seeds Aanya Choubey and Saumya Ronde 6-3, 3-6, 10-4.

Aradhya demonstrated resilience in the boys' final, prevailing despite losing the initial set. He secured a notable victory against Chandan Shivaraj in the ITF Junior circuit with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 win. Chandan had previously outdone top seed Sehaj Singh Pawar in the semi-finals.

As champions of the J30 (Under-18) tournament, they were awarded 30 ranking points, while those who finished second received 18.

Laxmisiri's martial display in the final suggested the extensive training she underwent at Sania Mirza's academy. She exhibited an initial struggle, particularly with her serve, but came back strong. Amodini, her opponent, lost momentum, worsened by a wrist injury she had sustained prior to the tournament.

After a fiercely contested first set, Laxmisiri's aggression overwhelmed Amodini, concluding the fixture with two wins for the sixteen-year-old prodigy. Laxmisiri expressed her pleasure with her ITF title win, stating it would boost her preparation for the ITF World Tour event happening in Tashkent.

The boys' final was a riveting encounter, especially between two baseline players. Despite it being his first final at this level, Aradhya, just 14, maintained his nerve and showcased a dominant baseline game. After losing the first set, Aradhya's combativeness saw him surge back to claim victory.

"It couldn't be more thrilling," remarked Aradhya, a trainee from the Sol Tennis Academy.

Results (prefix denotes seedings)

Single's Boys

Aradhya Kshitij defeated Chandan Shivaraj 1-6, 6-3, 6-4

Single's Girls

6-Laxmisrii Dandu overcame 3-Amodini Naik 7-5, 6-3

Doubles Boys

4-Gandharv Gourav Kothapalli/Sriniketh Kannan edged Daksh Kukreti/Kashit Nagrale 4-6, 7-5, 11-9

Doubles Girls

1-Laxmisree Dandu/Durganshi Kumar outmatched 4-Aanya Choubey/Saumya Ronde 6-3, 3-6, 10-4.