Odisha players won one out of a total of three doubles titles and shared another in the TAB-AITA-OTA Talent Series U-12 and U-16 Tennis Tournament at Kalinga Stadium Tennis Complex here today. Local duo Rahul Behera and Sangram Kumar Patra captured the U-16 boys crown, defeating state-mates Bighnesh Nanda and D Aryan Swamy in the final 7-5, 3-6, (10-7).

This was the maiden AITA title for Behera and second for Patra. Odisha girl Simran Neha Ekka emerged U-16 girls champion, albeit partnering with Sanya Yadav of West Bengal. In the final, they got the better of West Bengal pair of Oindrila Sen and Taru Sai Joshi 6-1, 6-3.

This was AITA title No 4 for Ekka, whose earlier three included two doubles and one singles. She also stayed on course for a double crown by reaching U-16 girls singles final, where she will meet Taru Sai Joshi tomorrow. Three more Odisha players too entered singles final today.

Among them, Lalit Tudu will take on Ethan Thai S Lee of West Bengal in U-12 boys event, while Ashish Kumar Parida and D Aryan Swamy will face each other in U-16 boys category. The tournament is being organised by Tennis Association of Bhubaneswar, under the aegis of Odisha Tennis Association from May 28.

DOUBLES RESULTS:

U-12 Boys: Semifinals: Mayand Tewary-Sagnik Mitra (WB) bt Kaamlesh Rath-Arush Sarma (OD) 6-3,7-6(3); Dishanta Mohanty-Lalit Tudu (OD) bt Saphalya Mohanty-Shriyansh Patnaik (OD) 6-3,6-0. Final: M Tewary-S Mitra bt D Mohanty-L Tudu 6-2,6-2.

U-16 Boys: Semifinals: Bighnesh Nanda-D Aryan Swamy (OD) bt Priyanshu Singh-Sarnaav Ghosh (WB) 6-2,6-2; Rahul Behera-Sangram Kumar Patra (OD) bt Md Arib Afzal-Ashish Kumar Parida (WB-OD) 6-1,6-4. Final: R Behera-SK Patra bt B Nanda-DA Swamy 7-5,3-6,(10-7).

U-16 Girls: Semifinals: Simran Neha Ekka-Sanya Yadav (OD-WB) bt Aditi Pradhan-Alina Sayed (JH-OD) 6-3,6-0; Oindrila Sen-Taru Sai Joshi (WB) bt Nemha S Kispotta-Henamika K Sahu (OD) 6-1,6-0. Final: SN Ekka-S Yadav bt O Sen-TS Joshi 6-1, 6-3.
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PHOTO: Odisha duo Sangram Patra (Left) and Rahul Behera after winning the U-16 boys doubles title in Bhubaneswar on May 31, 2018.