Kian Patel of The Oberoi International School stormed into the U-14 boys final of the MSSA inter-school lawn tennis tournament, beating Ansh Jalota of Methibai Devraj Gundecha 3-0 at the Bombay Gymkhana on Friday.
Kian, 13, who has already represented the state at the Nationals, was playing in the MSSA tournament for the first time.
A familiar foe
Having known his opponent for a long time, Kian was well-equipped for the clash. Effectively countering the rather slow approach, Kian went on the aggressive to force his rival on the back foot. Kian’s smart placements caught Ansh off-guard frequently.
“I first picked up the racquet when I was three. My sister and father also play; that’s how I got into tennis. It’s been good all along and I wish to keep continuing in the same manner,” said Kian.
In the other semi-final, Vidyut Sundar of Nita Mukesh Ambani Junior School produced a dominating performance to sail past Aarav Shah of Bombay International School with a similar 3-0 win.
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Earlier, in the quarter-finals, Kian came up with a 3-0 win over Aryan Tyebjee of BD Somani International, while Vidyut fought well in a keen tie-breaker against schoolmate Aarav Mulay, winning 7-3.
Maitre, Vritika in final
In the girls U-12 semi-finals, Maitre Sharma of Juggilal Podar Academy advanced into the final beating Devika Pinge of Bombay Scottish School 3-1, while Vritika Shah of Bombay Scottish went past Revika Manchandani of Oberoi International School 3-1.
