Anika and Sharmal clinch Senior Singles titles
Anika Seneviratne the fourth seeded who confronted fifth seeded Anjalika Kurera in the final of the women’s singles coasted to a comfortable 2-0 win and in the process bagged her maiden national title and thus became the first hold the tiles in both forms in the games in Sri Lanka played at the SLTA tennis courts in Greenpath, Colombo yesterday.
Reigning national tennis singles champion top seeded Sharmal Dissanayake made it third in a row when he clinched the men’s singles title of the 103rd National Tennis Championship defeating second seeded Dineshkanthan Thangaraja 2-1 in the final.
It was the second title win of the 103rd National Tennis Championship for Sharmal who the previous day partnered by Alex Fairbanks bagged the men’s double title with Dineshkanthan who was partnered by Heera Ashiq having to play second fiddle on that occasion too.
For Anika too it was her second title, having earlier won the women’s doubles title partnered by her sister Alana and she will be looking to bag her third title of the nationals as she has qualified to the mixed doubles final with her partner being Dineshkanthan which is scheduled to be played today.
However Anjalika will have no regrets as she has had a successful tournament having won a double by emerging champion in the national junior girls under 14 and 16 age groups and playing in her first final of the women’s open would no doubt given the much needed exposure and experience to face stiff tournaments in the future.
Meanwhile two other youngsters Nelaka Dissanayake and Chathurya Nilaweera bagged two titles each. Nelaka emerged the boys under 14 champion and Chathurya the boys under 16 champion and later the tow partnered together to clinch the boys under 16 doubles title.
Results
- Men’s Singles: Sharmal Dissanayake beat Dineshkanthan Thanagaraja 2-0 (7/5, 6/1).
- Women’s Singles: Anika Seneviratne beat Anjalika Kurera 2-0 (6/1, 6/3)