Ikttesh stuns topseed Namita,Likhita upsets 2nd seed Saumya

Chandigarh, April 26 (UNI) Unseeded Ikttesh Chahal pulled off the biggest upset in the girls Under-14 singles semi-finals as she rallied to topple top seed Namita Bal of Maharashtra 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the AITA Championship Series Tennis Tournament here today.

From the lower half, fifth seed Likhita Shetty of Karnataka also proved the seeding panel wrong as she shocked second seed Saumya Sanghi of Delhi in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 in the second semi-final.

It will be an all-Chandigarh affair in the girls Under-16 final tomorrow as top seed Jaanesh Kaur will meet eighth seed Mehak Singh.

Maintaining her top form Jaanesh Kaur ended the challenge of fifth seed Seeulee K Upadhaya of Orissa in straight sets 6-4, 7-5 and Mehak beat plucky unseeded Shilpa Nauka of Chandigarh 7-5, 6-4.

Top seed Digvijay Singh Mehta of Himachal Pradesh expected advanced into the boys Under-14 and Under-16 finals. The boys U-16 final is expected to provide entertaining tennis as top seed Digvijay faces second seed Mandeep Singh Gill.

In semi-finals played today, Digvijay S. Mehta defeated qualifier Bharat Bhardwaj (Haryana) 6-2, 6-2 and Mandeep S. Gill beat unseeded Pullok Bhatacharya (Delhi) 6-3, 6-1.

Mehta's opponent in the boys Under-14 final will be seventh seed Gurinder Singh of Punjab. Top favourite Mehta ousted sixth seed Anirudh Millind (Maharashtra) 6-3, 6-2 and Gurinder Singh (Punjab) disposed of the challenge of fifth seed Karan P. Kurup (Tamil Nadu) 6-1, 6-1.

Results (semi-finals): Girls Under-14 singles: Ikttesh Chahal (Chandigarh) bt Namita Bal (Maharashtra) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, Likhita Shetty (Karnataka) bt Saumya Sanghi (Delhi) 6-3, 6-3.

Girls Under-16 singles: Jaanesh Kaur (Chandigarh) bt Seeulee K.

Upadhaya (Orissa) 6-4, 7-5, Mehak Singh (Chandigarh) bt Shilpa Naruka (Chandigarh) 7-5, 6-4.

Boys Under-16 singles: Digvijay S. Mehta (Himachal Pradesh) bt Bharat Bhardwaj (Haryana) 6-2, 6-2, Mandeep S. Gill (Chandigarh) bt Pullok Bhatacharya (Delhi) 6-3, 6-1.

Boys Under-14 singles: Digvijay S. Mehta (Himachal Pradesh) bt Darp Anirudh Millind (Maharashtra) 6-3, 6-2, Gurinder Singh (Punjab) bt Karan P. Kurup (Tamil Nadu) 6-1, 6-1.

UNI