Maharashtra’s Saheb Sodhi caused a major upset as he sent sixth seed Arjun Kundu of Gujarat crashing out in a boys singles first round of the CCI 13th Ramesh Desai Memorial All India Nationals Under-16 Tennis Tournament 2019, organized by the Cricket Club of India and played at the CCI tennis courts on Monday.
The unseeded Mumbai lad Sodhi played with plenty of grit and determination against his Gujarat rival. Sodhi won a tight tie-breaker 7-5 to take the first set before Kundu came fighting back to win the second to level the match scores at 1-all. Sodhi came up with another strong performance to clinch another tie-break in winning the third to complete a deserving 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(3) victory and progress to the second round.
Unseeded Arjun Gohad also from Maharashtra also scored a shock win against 13th seed Dhanya Shah of Gujarat pulling off a 1-6, 6-2, 6-1 win to also advance to the next round.
In other first round matches, Karnataka’s Monil Lotlikar overcame Telangana’s Gyangrahit Movva 7-5, 6-1, while Tamil Nadu’s Adhirit Awal tamed Maharashtra Aaryaan Qureshi coasting to a 6-3, 6-3 win.
Results – Boys singles (first round): Karim Alim Khan (MH) beat Jitin Chetry (CH) 6-0, 6-1;
Shivam Kadam (MH) beat Kritanta Shama (AS) 6-4, 6-4;
Yashraj Dalvi (MH) beat Ananth Muni (AP) 6-4, 6-4;
Karan Singh (HR) beat Arunava Majumdar (WB) 3-6, 6-3, 6-0;
Kush Sharma beat Akash Deb (AS) 6-3, 6-4;
Monil Lotlikar (KA) beat Gyangrahit Movva (TS) 7-5, 6-1;
Bushan Haobam (MN) beat Aayush Bhat (KA) 4-6, 6-0, 6-2;
Adhirit Awal (TN) beat Aaryaan Qureshi (MH) 6-3, 6-3;
Arjun Gohad (MH) beat Dhanya Shah (GJ) 1-6, 6-2, 6-1;
Rishi Jalota (CH) beat Torus Rawat (UK) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4;
Deep Munim (MP) beat Jaishav Shinde (MH) 6-2, 6-2;
Kabir Chhabria (KA) beat Amit Kumar (UP) 6-1, 6-3;
Saheb Sodhi (MH) beat Arjun Kundu (GJ) 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(3);
Krishna Hooda (HR) beat Nirav Shetty (MH) 6-2, 6-2;
Divgurjot Singh (PB) beat Manas Dhamane (MH) 4-0 (conceded);
Kartik Saxena (DL) beat Maan Kesharwani (UP) 6-3, 6-2;
Tushar Mittal (DL) beat Devaharshi Neelam (TS) 6-2, 6-3;
Ajay Singh (HR) beat Sandesh Kurale (MH) 6-2, 6-0;
Sukhpreet Jhoje (CH) beat Tharakesh Ashokar (TN) 7-5, 6-4;
Denim Yadav (MP) beat Aditya Nandal (HR) 6-4, 6-0;
Heerak Vora (GJ) beat Farhaan Patrawala (GJ) 2-6, 6-1, 6-2;
Anargha Ganguly (MH) beat Ansh Kundu (HR) 6-2, 6-0;
Daksh Agarwal (MH) beat Vansh Nandal (UP) 6-4, 6-0;
Faiz Nasyam (MH) beat Omansh Choudhary (DL) 6-2, 6-0;