Team India dominate sixth round of East Africa junior tennis championships

By ELIZABETH MBURUGU

Top seed Nicole Dzenga of Zimbabwe returns a shot to Nikola Matuszak of Poland in their quarter-final, Under-18 girls’ singles match at Nairobi Club, yesterday. [PHOTO: JENNIFER WACHIE/ STANDARD]

Indians dominated the quarter-final matches of the boys’ singles in the ITF East Africa Under-18 Junior Circuit at the Nairobi Club.

Tournament seed five Prajwal Dev of India beat top seed Sarp Agabigun of Turkey 6-3 3-6 7-6 (8) to make it to the last four.

He started off well winning the first set 6-3 however, Agabigun was not willing to lose and he fought hard to win 3-6.

The match was balanced with both battling fiercely in a long third set which Dev won 7-6(8).

Speaking to FeverPitch after his victory Dev said, “Am glad to have won and advanced to the semi-finals, it was a tough match and my opponent is a very good player who doesn’t lose easily.”

Looking forward to his semi-finals match he said he is going for nothing less than a win.

“I want to excel so I can play in the finals, he doesn’t pose a threat to my ambitions because I have played him before and I have beaten him four times and lost once,” he added.

In an all-Indian battle Vasisht Cheruku dismissed fellow Indian Udayan Bhakar 7-6 (7) 4-6 6-2 to book a semi-final date with Dev.

Send packing

Aditya Gokhale also of India sent Nishangan Nadaraja of Sri Lanka packing 7-6 (1) 7-6 (3) to set up a meeting with Italian Sasha Merzetti.  Merzetti defeated Kenyan born Mwenda Mbithi (now of US) 7-6 (7) 3-6 6-3.

In the girls’ singles, competition top seed Nicole Dzenga of Zimbabwe beat seed eight Nikola Matuszak of Poland 6-3 4-6 6-1 to advance.

Dzenga who failed in the first leg said, “It was a very tough match and am glad I won, I have improved because I lost to Matuszak in the first leg thus a victory against her is a plus for me,” she said.

Looking forward to her semi-finals tie against her doubles partner Nelise Verster of South Africa, Dzenga said she would give her best for a final spot.

“My match against her will not be easy but I will be aggressive.”

Girls’ first leg winner Mariana Carreira of Portugal is two matches away from winning the second leg. She dismissed Michalina Jedrzejczak of Poland 6-2 6-1.

She will meet Keren Rozen of Israel who saw off Victoria Walter of Austria 6-3 7-6 (2) to make it to the semis, which will be played today and winners will battle it out in the finals tomorrow. –[email protected]