Amritha sails into record books
A ferocious finish by Amritha Muttiah did not just launch her to a 6-4, 6-0 demolition over a stunned Thisuri Molligoda in the women’s singles finals of the 99th National Tennis Championships, but also sent her darting into the record books with a record sixth consecutive national title, claimed at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association courts yesterday.
Muttiah’s greater experience and superior skill generated just too much momentum for Molligoda to cope with, and the continued bombardment of heavy ground strokes down both wings eroded her resistance entirely.
Nevertheless, Molligoda started the clash encouragingly, striking the ball cleanly at extreme angles to have the defending champion huffing and more than mildly concerned. However, Muttiah’s class then began to shine through, first as she got into a fluent rhythm with several exquisite drop shots and then as she whipped across some equally magical winners.
After she snatched the first set from Molligoda grasp, Muttiah seemed to flip an internal switch to a high-voltage spark of aggression. And once this superior gear had been reached, Molligoda was no longer in the picture as Muttiah began to put together her personal highlight reel.
No longer could Molligoda get a racquet on the ball as it whizzed by her after catching the edges of the lines. On the occasions when she admirably managed to retrieve it, Muttiah would deftly guide it gently over the net just beyond a sprinting Molligoda.
As the set wore on, Muttiah proceeded to break her opponent’s serve at will while holding hers with unquestioned authority. Then, after sailing to a 5-0 lead in the set without seeming to break a sweat, she claimed match point with a blistering winner, punctuated by an equally powerful cry of “Come on” which announced her induction as one of the country’s truly great women’s champions.