TENNIS
New Delhi to host National Championship from September 30
The Fenesta National Tennis Championship is scheduled to be held at the DLTA Complex here from September 30 to October 5. The men’s, women’s and under-18 events for boys and girls will be staged in the first week.
The following week will feature the under-16 and under-14 events for boys and girls as has been the practice over the years.
However, except for the ITF junior events, the Indian tennis calendar does not have any international events for men and women.
The secretary general of the All India Tennis Association (AITA), Anil Dhupar, had hinted that the next set of international events for men and women would be staged from September.
Till March, Indian tennis had a bunch of Challengers, a WTA event, and a series of ITF events for men and women.
Thereafter, the cream of Indian tennis has kept itself busy by competing around the world, trying to build on the gains of the international events staged at home.
-Kamesh Srinivasan
GOLF
Anvitha picks up title on her second pro start in 8th Leg of WPGT
Anvitha Narender, who held at least a share of the lead from the opening round, completed a comprehensive seven-shot win in the eighth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Bangalore Golf Club on Thursday.
In only her second professional tournament, the New Jersey-born golfer, who was T-8 on her debut a week earlier, shot three fine rounds in the 60s for 69-65-68 to total 8-under 210 and beat amateur Lavanya Jadon, who had a rough start but held on for a round of 73 and finished second at 1-under 209.
Vidhatri Urs, who like Anvitha is playing only her second pro event, shot the day’s equal best of 68 despite a finish that had a double-bogey and a bogey at the end.
Vidhatri, who was T-3 last week, finished third time at even par 210 with cards of 72-70-68.
Anvitha, starting the day with a two-shot lead, found herself five ahead after the first three holes despite making only three pars. Her playing partner Lavanya, who was two behind at the start, double bogeyed the second and bogeyed the third. The third player in the lead group, Seher Atwal parred the first six holes.
Anvitha dropped a shot on the Par-5 fourth, where Lavanya birdied for a two-shot swing. However, Anvitha fought back with birdies on the sixth and the eighth and seemingly ran away with further birdies on the 12th and the 13th.
As the players found the going tough in the closing stages, Anvitha could afford bogeys on the 14th and the 17th though she had a birdie in between on the 16th.
With a final round of 68 she coasted to a comfortable seven-shot win as Lavanya had three bogeys and two birdies on the back nine.
Vidhatri, after a bogey start, made a charge with five birdies in the next eight holes, including three in a row from eighth to the tenth.
Five pars and a birdie on the 16th put her second behind Anvitha, but a double bogey and a bogey on last two holes dropped her to third place as Lavanya ended second with three pars at the end.
Seher had a rough back nine with four bogeys on a tough scoring day.
Another amateur, Saanvi Somu from Bengaluru, shot 1-over 71 and was tied fourth with the experienced Seher Atwal, who dropped four bogeys in her last seven holes in a card of 3-over 73 and a total of 2-over 212.
The 2023 Hero Order of Merit winner, Sneha Singh, who had a share of the lead after the first day, began in a disastrous manner with four bogeys in her first seven holes. She had one birdie and another bogey in a round of 74 and was sixth at 6-over 216.
Gaurika Bishnoi, winner last week, also dropped shots at the tough closing holes as she finished bogey-bogey for 70 and was Tied-7th with Snigdha Goswami (74), who had four bogeys and no birdies.
Four players, Amandeep Drall (69), Jahaanvie Walia (70), Agrima Manral (71) and Rhea Jha (74), one of the co-leaders after Day 1, ended in a tie for ninth place.
The leader Hitaashee Bakshi, who finished 14th, stayed in the lead on the Hero Order of Merit.
– PTI
 "BCCI want Test specialists to play domestic cricket; Rohit, Virat, Bumrah to be exceptions")
