Nikshep, Sawhney champs

Nikshep warded off a strong challenge from eighth seed Udayan Bhakkar 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, while Vanshika dispatched Ramya Natarajan 7-5, 6-2 in the summit clash at the R.K. Khanna Tennis Complex.

Nitin Kumar Sinha took the boys’ under-14 title with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Yugal Bansal. In the girls’ under-14, Ramya Natarajan was again at the receiving end after she lost to Mihika Yadav 3-6, 2-6.

The boys’ under-16 final looked set for a tough battle and Udayan made his intentions clear right from the word go. Udayan broke Nikshep in the very first game of the match and maintained the lead right till the end of the opening set to draw first blood.

But it was a different story in the next set as Nikshep fought with more purpose and broke Udayan twice in the fourth and ninth game to draw level.

In the boys’ under-14 final, Nitin was virtually running away with the match, breaking Yugal Bansal twice in the first four games of the opening set.

Having taken a 4-0 lead, it was always a tough job for Yugal to come back and he managed to hold his serve only twice in the set.

After breaking Nitin in the first game of the second, Yugal just couldn’t find the rhythm to capitalize on the advantage and lost four straight games after that. Nitin was completely in control of the match as Yugal couldn’t fight his way in the match.

Results: All finals: Boys U-16 Singles: BR Nikshep bt Udayan Bhakara 4-6,6-4,6-3; U14: Nitin Kumar Sinha bt Nitin Kumar Sinha 6-3,6-2; Girls U-16: Vanshika Sawhney bt Ramya Natarajan 7-5,6-2; U-14: Mihika Yadav bt Ramya Natarajan 6-3,6-2.