Bengaluru, July 27: Host state’s Disha Santosh Khandoji, who began the main draw as a qualifier, scripted the biggest upset of the tournament thus far knocking out the second seed Lukshitha Gopinath to make it to the semifinals of the Nichsolv AITA Super Series U-16 at KSLTA here on Wednesday. The 14-year-old registered a 7-5, 6-1 victory over the lass from Tamil Nadu, thus ending the outstation challenge in the week-long event.
Disha now meets V Chingatagere Naveen in the semifinal. The latter was a 6-1, 6-1 winner over Indusha Nimakayala. Top seed Harshini N brushed aside the challenge of Anvi Punaganti 6-2, 6-3 to set up a last-four clash with fourth seeded Savitha Bhuvaneswaran who overcame giant killer Saanvi Misra 6-0, 6-3 in the other quarterfinal tie.
Meanwhile, in the Boys category, the matches went according to the script with top seed Aradhya Kshitij quelling the challenge of Qualifier Rurik Rajini 6-1, 6-3 in the first quarterfinal and will meet eighth seed Kristo Babu who was a 6-2, 6-4 winner over Ananth Krishna, in the semifinal. Yash Panchaxari overcame a fighting Anurag Shourya Kallambella 2-6, 4-6, 6-1 and will meet second seed Sriniketh Kannan who beat Prakaash Sarran 6-3, 7-6 (7).
RESULTS (Seedings in prefix, States in bracket except players from Karnataka)
Boys Singles (Quarterfinals)
1-Aradhya Kshitij bt Q-Rurik Rajini 6-1, 6-3; 8-Kristo Babu bt Ananth Krishna 6-2, 6-4; Yash Panchaxari bt Q-Anurag Shourya Kallambella 2-6, 4-6, 6-1; 2-Sriniketh Kannan bt Prakaash Sarran 6-3, 7-6 (7).
Girls Singles (Quarterfinals)
1-Harshini N bt Anvi Punaganti 6-2, 6-3; 4-Savitha Bhuvaneswaran bt Saanvi Misra 6-0, 6-3; Q-V Chingatagere Naveen bt Q-Indusha Nimakayala 6-1, 6-1; Q-Disha Santosh Khandoji bt 2-Lukshitha Gopinath (TN) 7-5, 6-1.
