TENNIS
Anirudh and Vijay lose $40,000 Challenger doubles semifinals
Third seeds Anirudh Chandrasekar and Vijay Sundar Prashanth had been overwhelmed 7-5, 6-3 by alternate entrants Jan Choinski and Stuart Parker of Britain within the doubles semifinals of the $40,000 Challenger tennis event in Nonthaburi, Thailand, on Friday.
The outcomes:
$40,000 Challenger, Nonthaburi, Thailand Jan Choinski & Stuart Parker (GBR) bt Anirudh Chandrasekar & Vijay Sundar Prashanth 7-5, 6-3.
$25,000 ITF males, Doha, Qatar Doubles (closing): Dax Donders & Sidane Pontjodikroo (Ned) bt Parikshit Somani & Khumoyun Sultanov (Uzb) 3-6, 7-5, [10-2; Semifinals: Parikshit & Khumoyun w.o. Jaimee Floyd Angele (Fra) & Elliot Benchetrit (Mar).
$15,000 ITF males, Jakarta, Indonesia Singles (quarterfinals): Sidharth Rawat bt Niki Poonacha 6-4, 4-6, 6-0.
Doubles (semifinals): Nathan Anthony Barki & Christopher Rungkat (Ina) bt Ishaque Eqbal & Karan Singh 7-5, 3-6, 10-3.
– Kamesh Srinivasan
In a primary, solely ladies to officiate at Pune ITF
Pune: Come Sunday, and the tennis-loving metropolis of Pune would witness the primary six-day NECC ITF 40K Tennis Championships, could be officiated by an all- ladies members’ crew.
In a primary in tennis in India, a 20-member all-women’s crew, led by Asia’s gold badge referee Sheetal Iyer, would officiate the six-day lengthy event.
Sheetal could be officiating in her a hundredth plus ITF occasion because the event may have all ladies’s chair umpires, chief of officers, strains umpires, gamers desk, physios working throughout the week.
“We are thrilled… This has been in our minds since a long but we are happy that we will be able to initiate this coinciding with India’s 75th year of Independence celebrations,” stated Sunder Iyer secretary MSLTA and joint-secretary of AITA.
All-women’s crew:
ITF Supervisor: Sheetal Iyer; Chief of Officials: Leena Nageshkar; Chair Umpires: Antonia Drazic (Croatia), Avanee Gosavi, Riya Chapekar, Lavleen Raizada, Dakshata Patel, Shraddha Dali; Line Umpires: Anwesha Chandra, Supriya Mallaya, Geetika Paul, Niharika Gore, Neha Uikey, Chhaya Verti, Sakshi Chug, Isha Chopra, Apurva Rokade, Kulsoom Khan, Reshma Ganapate and Anuja Maheswari.
– PTI
Tikhonova beats high seed Abduraimova in ITF event
Anastasia Tikhonova of Russia survived two match factors to beat high seed Nigina Abduraimova of Uzbekistan 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(7) within the quarterfinals of the $40,000 ITF ladies’s tennis event on the Arera Club on Friday.
In the semifinals, Tikhonova will play compatriot Ekaterina Makarova. The different semifinal will probably be between second seed Joanne Zuger of Switzerland and Valeria Savinykh of Russia.
Makarova additionally made the doubles closing in partnership with Ekaterina Reyngold. The duo will face Erina Hayashi and Saki Imamura of Japan within the closing.
The outcomes:
Singles (quarterfinals): Anastasia Tikhonova (Rus) bt Nigina Abduraimova (Uzb) 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(7); Ekaterina Makarova (Rus) bt Eri Shimizu (Jpn) 6-1, 7-6(3); Valeria Savinykh (Rus) bt Mana Kawamura (Jpn) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1; Joanne Zuger (Sui) bt Ksenia Zaytseva (Rus) 7-5, 6-4.
Doubles (semifinals): Ekaterina Makarova & Ekaterina Reyngold (Rus) bt En Shuo Liang (Tpe) & Diana Marcinkevica (Lat) 7-6(5), 7-6(4); Erina Hayashi & Saki Imamura (Jpn) bt Irina Khromacheva & Anastasia Tikhonova (Rus) 6-3, 6-2.
– Kamesh Srinivasan
AITA males’s event: Quamar beats top-seed Kamboj
Fardeen Quamar beat high seed Udit Kamboj 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to win the title within the Rs.100,000 AITA males’s tennis event on the Jaipur Club on Friday.
Fardeen had earlier made the doubles closing along with his father Qamaruddin Khan. The father-son duo had misplaced to Udit Kamboj and Shivank Bhatnagar within the closing.
The outcomes (closing): Fardeen Quamar bt Udit Kamboj 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
– Kamesh Srinivasan
Football
I-League: Gokulam Kerala notches 2-0 win in opposition to Real Kashmir
Gokulam Kerala’s return to its unique base proved worthwhile on Friday. In its first house match on the Corporation Stadium, the defending champion defeated Real Kashmir 2-0.
It was a badly wanted win for Gokulam, which had performed all its earlier house matches at Manjeri. The second purpose was netted by one of many newest recruits, Joby Justin.
In a determined bid to bolster its disappointing frontline, there had been a signing spree by Gokulam within the switch window. Joby and Eldar Moldozhunusov of Kyrgyzstan had joined the crew just a few days in the past and shortly earlier than them, the Spanish duo of Omar Ramos and Sergio Mendigutxia had been signed.
All that appears to have some distinction to the crew, however solely after the following few video games would inform us how a lot. In this match, in opposition to a robust opposition, the host’s assault appeared sharper.
With V.S. Sreekuttan and Farshad Noor combining properly to create possibilities, Kashmir’s defence got here beneath stress within the opening half. And it was off a wonderful cross from the sting of the field by Sreekuttan that resulted within the first purpose, with Thahir Zaman heading the ball in. Joby’s purpose additionally got here from a header, off a nook kick taken by Omar Ramos.
The win has taken Gokulam to the third spot. It has 21 factors, simply 4 behind the chief Sreenidi Deccan. Kashmir, with 18 factors, is positioned fifth.
The end result: Gokulam Kerala 2 (Thahir Zaman 35, Joby Justin 86) bt Real Kashmir 0.
MOTORSPORTS
Indian National Car Racing Championship: Pole place for Sohil, Sandeep in Round 3
Bengaluru’s Sohil Shah, 21, certified for pole place within the MRF Formula 2000 class because the third and penultimate spherical of the Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 commenced on the Madras International Circuit on Friday.
In the one different qualifying session, for Volkswagen Polo Cup, Chennai’s Sandeep Kumar, the defending champion, grabbed the pole place to finish a nice day as he was additionally the quickest within the free observe session for the touring vehicles class (Indian Touring Cars), earlier within the day.
Sohil, a former nationwide karting champion, who sat out the earlier 5 races over two rounds, carried his free observe kind into the qualifying session the place he put in a lap of 1 minute, 31.910 secs, to take P1 for Saturday’s Race-1, forward of Chennai’s Mohammed Ryan (01:32.062). Championship chief Sai Sanjay (01:32.404) from Salem certified for P3.
Bengaluru’s Sohil Shah, who certified for pole place within the MRF F2000 class.
| Photo Credit: –
Sandeep Kumar, 30, shaved nearly a second off his observe session timing, with a lap of 01:55.729 within the qualifying run. Pune’s Pratik Sonawane, the 2019 VW Ameo Cup vice-champion, crammed the entrance row clocking 01:56.376.
Earlier within the day throughout observe classes, Chennai drivers hogged the limelight within the touring vehicles classes. Sandeep Kumar (Rayo Racing) was the quickest amongst Indian Touring Cars in a Volkswagen Virtus, clocking a greatest lap of 01:54.751. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Performance Racing, 01:55.286) topped within the Indian Junior Touring Cars class whereas teammate Ritesh Rai (02:04.254) was the perfect in Super Stock. Incidentally, championship chief within the ITC class, Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) from Coimbatore sat out the observe session as a result of engine points.
In different observe classes, Mamallapuram’s Raghul Rangasamy (MSport, 01.51,696) headed the timesheet within the Formula LGB 1300 class, whereas Justin Singh from Gurugram (02:02.422) topped the MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) area.
The outcomes (qualifying – high 3):
MRF F2000: 1. Sohil Shah (Bengaluru) (1min, 31.910sec); 2. Mohamed Ryan (Chennai) (01:32.062); 3. Sai Sanjay T (Salem) (01:32.404);
Volkswagen Polo Cup: 1. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (1:55.729); 2. Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) (1;56.376); 3. Jeet Jabakh (Hyderabad) (1:56.630).
– Team Sportstar
VOLLEYBALL
Eduardo Romay to steer Kochi Blue Spikers in PVL
KOCHI: The Kochi Blue Spikers, owned by the Muthoot Pappachan Group, has named Eduardo Romay as its captain for the second version of the Prime Volleyball League which begins in Bengaluru on February 4.
The 27-year-old Romay, who performs as common or reverse, is the captain of Peru nationwide crew. . Before becoming a member of the Blue Spikers, Romay had performed with varied groups in Spain, Turkey, Austria and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, setter Vipul Kumar has been named because the vice-captain.
“It’s an honour for me to lead Kochi Blue Spikers which has a balanced team. I thank the team owners and coach for showing confidence in me and giving the responsibility to lead the team,” stated Romay.
“Romay has the experience of leading the national team and his experience in various leagues in different countries will benefit the team,” stated Thomas Muthoot, the Blue Spikers crew proprietor.
– Stan Ryan
Golf
Shubhankar provides 2-under, positioned ninth in Abu Dhabi
India’s Shubhankar Sharma three-putted his closing gap — the ninth — however was nonetheless in tied ninth place on the midway stage of the USD 9 million Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championships right here on Friday.
Feeding off the constructive recollections from final 12 months’s outcomes, when he was runner-up on the 12 months’s first Rolex Series elite occasion, Shubhankar carded 2-under 70 and was 7-under 137.
“That final bogey left a bit of a bitter taste. I should have got that par and I had one other three-putt. But still just inside the top-10 at halfway is something I would take in such a big event right at the start of the season,” stated Sharma, who after his first spherical went to see the Ferrari World, reverse the Yas Links.
“That was great fun and it helped me keep my mind fresh and energised,” stated Sharma, who was twenty ninth within the DP World Tour Rankings in 2022.
The leaderboard had two Italians sharing the lead. They are each recent from a wonderful exhibiting on the Hero Cup, additionally in Abu Dhabi final week.
Francesco Molinari, the 2018 Open winner at Carnoustie, who led Continental European crew to victory over Great Britain & Ireland, shot a second straight 67 to get to 10-under. He shared the highest spot with fellow Italian, Guido Miglozzi (65-69), who performed beneath Molinari final week.
Sharma was tied ninth alongside Shane Lowry (70), Ryan Fox (66), Adrian Meronk (67), Masahiro Kawamura (70), Antoine Rozner (68) and Min Woo Lee (69).
European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald’s (64-75) triple bogey on Par-3 seventeenth noticed him fall from first result in 5 photographs behind the chief.
Defending champion Thomas Pieters (73-72) will miss the reduce.
Sharma, who was bogey-free on the primary day, began from the tenth simply earlier than midday and needed to endure windy situations. He had 5 birdies in opposition to three bogeys.
Summing up his spherical, Sharma stated, “As for the difference between the first and second day was that it was smoother for me yesterday. I didn’t make any bogeys yesterday and today was up and down.
“It was quite windy from the very first hole. And putting wasn’t very easy. I made two three-putts on the front nine, which was my back nine. I three-putted fourth and ninth. So, in terms of conditions, it was tougher today.” Jason Scrivener of Australia with 65-70 was sole third, whereas there have been 5 gamers — Victor Perez (65), Alexander Bjork (65), George Coetzee (68), Scott Jamieson (69) and Alexander Levy (68) — in fourth place.
Starting on the tenth, Molinari double-bogeyed his seventh gap and bogeyed his eighth. Then he fired six birdies on his again 9, the entrance facet of Yas Links, to submit a five-under 67.
Molinari was very happy along with his 67-67.
“Same score as yesterday but very different day. Many more up-and-downs than yesterday. A couple of three putts, and a couple of mental errors but also lots of good stuff, a couple of long putts made. So a bit of everything.
“Obviously a very good back nine, which is nice. I think where you are, where I’m at at the moment when you go through a tough patch, it’s nice to see that I can pick it up again?,” stated the Italian.
Migliozzi closed out his spherical with three successive birdies for a 3-under 69.
Donald would have been happy with the type of two potential Ryder Cup gamers, Molinari and Migliozzi, however not as a lot along with his personal recreation as he adopted his opening-round 8-under 64 with a 3-over 75.
The 45-year-old birdied his opening two holes on Friday, solely to bogey eight and 12 after which drop three photographs on the par-three seventeenth.
-PTI