JVPG Anirudh Desai All-India Open Tennis Tournament: Second seeds Dalwinder, Samitha comfortably move into 2nd round

National champion and second seed Dalwinder Singh of Punjab warmed up perfectly for the stronger challenges ahead as he eased past unseeded Jatin Dahiya in two sets in a men’s singles first round match of the AITA Ranking ₹22 lakh prize-money JVPG Anirudh Desai All-India Open Tennis Tournament 2018, at the Juhu Vile Parle Gymkhana’s floodlit tennis courts on Tuesday.

21-year-old Dalwinder was in complete control and hit some fine winners to cruise past Dahiya, winning at 6-3, 6-2 and move into the second round.

In other men’s singles matches, Kunal Anand, seeded fourth brushed aside the challenge from Shahbaaz Khan scripting a 6-4, 6-3 win, while qualifier Dhruv Sunish produced a creditable performance to tame a higher ranked opponent Nitin Kumar Sinha in two sets at 6-2, 6-4.

In women’s action, second seed Sai Samitha also enjoyed an easier opening round as she breezed past unseeded Shruti Gupta posting a fluent 6-0, 6-2 victory. Third seed Rishika Sunkara was also in great form dropping just one game as she packed off unseeded Mihika Yadav 6-1, 6-0 in quick time to also progress to the second round.

Meanwhile, unseeded Dakshata Patel scored a shock win against seventh seed Shweta C. Rana romping to a comfortable 6-1, 6-2 win and fourth seed Nithyaraj Baburaj proved too good for Avika Sagwal and charged to a 6-1, 6-0.

Results - Women’s singles (1st round): Bhuvana Kalva bt Nikita Bishnoi 6-1, 6-2; 3-Rishika Sunkara bt Mihika Yadav 6-1, 6-0; Arushi Vikram Bhasin bt Shrishti Daas 6-1, 7-5; Shreya Tatavarthy bt Moulika Ram 6-1, 6-0; 2-Sai Samitha bt Shruti Gupta 6-0, 6-2; Dakshata Patel bt 7-Shweta C. Rana 6-1, 6-2; 4-Nithyaraj Baburaj bt Avika Sagwal 6-1, 6-0; 8-Nidhi Chilumula bt Kaaviya Balasubramaniam 6-1, 6-1; Sara Yadav bt Nidhitra Rajmohan 6-2, 7-6; Bhuvana Kalva bt Nikita Bishnoi 6-1, 6-2; 3-Rishika Sunkara bt Mihika Yadav 6-1, 6-0.

Men’s singles (1st round): Dhruv Sunish bt Nitin Kumar Sinha 6-2, 6-4; 4-Kunal Anand (Dli) bt Shahbaaz Khan (Mum) 6-4, 6-3; Dakshineswar Suresh (TN) bt Anurag Nenwani (Del) 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(5); Shubham Malhotra bt Kunal R. Vazirani 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Paramveer Singh Bajwa bt Karan Srivastav 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-1; Madhwin Kamath bt Amarnath Arora 6-2, 6-0; 7-Siddharth Vishwakarma bt Mohammed Fahad 6-1, 6-2; 2-Dalwinder Singh bt Jatin Dahiya 6-3, 6-2.