Pranjala topples top seed Naito at the ITF Asian Junior Tennis Championships
INDIA'S TOP JUNIOR PRANJALA YADLAPALLI recorded the biggest upset of the tournament as she toppled top seeded Yuki Yaito of Japan in the girls event in the ITF Asian Junior Tennis Championships held at the Mhalunge Balewadi tennis Complex in Pune.
Fifth seeded Yadlapalli currently ranked 94 in the world pulled an upset as she ousted the top seed and world ranked 29 Japanese Yuki Naito 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 while unseeded Khim Iglupas of Phillipines created the second upset in the girls event knocking out eighth seeded Naho Sato 6-2, 6-3 and ending the Japanese challenge in the girls event .
Another Indian in fray Mahak Jain could not keep her momentum and went down tamely to Chinese Xiyu Wang . It was Wang's third Indian scalp having put out Snehal Mane and Zeel Desai in the first two rounds Wang scored a facile 6-2,6-0 win over Jain .
The 17 year old Jain who made a good 60 points by virtue of her quarterfinal entry here will jump into the top 100 list making her eligible to play the junior Grand slams in the coming year
In the boys section seventh A Tang of Hongkong currently ranked 125 played fluent tennis to upset top seed and world ranked 27 player Horie Toru of Japan 6-2,6-2 in just 50 minutes . Tang will take on another Japanese eighth seeded Tajima Naoki who upset fourth seeded Zhao Lingxi of China 7-6(5), 6-2
The 17 year old Pranjala who is also the current title holder in both singles and doubles took just over 2 hours to dispose off the top seed Yuki Naito 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 having lost her momentum in the second set
" I could had won the game in two sets but I lost focus and lost the second set. In third set my opponent gave me tough fight. At 4-4 I was able to hold my service and that gave me momentum to go for the kill " said Pranjala the 12th standard student of Chinmaya Vidyalaya Hyderabad.
Pranjala also made it to the Girls doubles semifinals partnering Japanese Aikawa, Mayuka , the pair recorded a 6-4,7-6(5) win over Filipino Khim Iglupas, and Japanese Himari Sato , However in another quarterfinal encounter Indonesian Rifanty Kahfiani, and Chinese Taipei's Yang Lee got the better of Indians Mahak Jain and Snehal Mane 6-3, 6-2 to make it to the last four.
In the Boys doubles BR Nikshep kept the Indian Interest alive reaching the semifinals partnering Alberto Lim of Philippines the pair thrashed Korean pair of Seon Yong Han and Ching Lam, 6-3, 6-2 , in the other match top seeded Japanese pair of Toru Horie and Yunosuke Tanaka scored a 6-1, 7-5 win over local boy Siddhant Banthia and Rimpei Kawakami of Japan to move into the last four
