CHESS
GM Iniyan loses to French IM Mahel in tiebreak
Indian Grandmaster P. Iniyan finished runner-up in the 41st Cappelle La Grande International Open Tournament after losing to IM Mahel of France in the tiebreaks in Dunkirk.
The fifth seed Indian scored 7.5 points, with six wins and 3 draws to be tied first alongside Mahel after nine rounds.
However, luck was against Iniyan in tie-breaks as the French IM emerged victorious.
After starting with four wins in a row, Iniyan drew the fifth game with fellow Indian IM Muthaiah.
He then drew with the eventual third-place finisher GM Raja Rithvik of India. A win in the penultimate round left him leading the event along with Mahel.
The result has helped Iniyan gain 16 rating points and his live rating now is 2566.
– PTI
TENNIS
Bengaluru Open ATP Challenger 2025: Davis Cuppers Karan, Mukund reach final round of qualifiers
S. Mukund celebrates after beating compatriot Rishi Reddy in the first round of qualifying at Bengaluru Open ATP Challenger on Sunday.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
S. Mukund celebrates after beating compatriot Rishi Reddy in the first round of qualifying at Bengaluru Open ATP Challenger on Sunday.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
India made a strong start in the first round of Bengaluru Open 2025 qualifiers, with Davis Cup team members Karan Singh and Mukund Sasikumar registering victories.
Singh, who was part of India’s 4-0 triumph over Togo in the Davis Cup World Group I Playoffs, registered a 7-5, 6-3 win over Ukraine’s Yurii Dzhavakian, the 12th seed in qualifying. Meanwhile, Mukund battled past fellow Indian Rishi Reddy in a nearly two-hour encounter, emerging victorious 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
Youngster Aryan Shah pulled off a major upset against fifth seed Kris Van Wyk, securing a 6-4, 7-6(4) victory.
However, Siddharth Rawat fell to Czech Republic’s Hynek Barton, who claimed a 6-4, 6-4 win. Delhi Open 2025 doubles finalist Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha also bowed out after a three-set loss to Petr Bar Biryukov.
Among the top-seeded qualifiers, Billy Harris, fresh off his runner-up finish at the Delhi Open 2025, defeated India’s Siddharth Vishwakarma in straight sets. Second seed Ilia Simakin also advanced, beating Japan’s Ryuki Matsuda in a commanding display.
RESULTS (First round of qualifying)
(IND) Karan Singh bt (UKR) Yurii Dzhavakian 7-5, 6-3
(JPN) Kokoro Isomura bt (IND) Adil Kalyanpur 7-6 (7-2), 6-0
(IND) Aryan Shah bt (RSA) Karl Van Wyk 6-4, 7-6(8-6)
(RUS) Petr Bar Biryukov bt (IND) Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(1)
(GBR) Billy Harris bt (IND) Siddhant Vishwakarma 6-2, 6-1
(CZE) Hynek Barton bt (IND) Sidharth Rawat 6-4, 6-4
(ESP) Nicolas Alvarez Varona bt (IND) Manish Sureshkumar 6-2, 6-2
(ITA) Jacopo Berrettini bt (IND) Karan Tyagi 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
(IND) Sasikumar Mukund bt (IND) Rishi Reddy 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
(JPN) Hiroki Moriya bt (UKR) Eric Vanshelboim 7-6(7-5), 6-4
(THA) Kasidit Samrej bt (MAS) Mitsuki Wei Kang Leong 6-4, 7-6(5)
(RUS) Ilia Simakin bt (JPN) Ryuki Matsuda 7-6(8), 6-4
– Team Sportstar
ITF Ahmedabad: Abhaya beats Saily in first qualifying round
Abhaya Vemuri overcame a tough start to beat Saily Thakkar 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-3 in the first qualifying round of the USD 40,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament at the Ahmedabad Tennis Foundation courts on Sunday.
In the second and final qualifying round, Abhaya will play the top seed Michika Ozeki of Japan.
Anjali Rathi also fought back to beat Divya Bhardwaj 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, to set up a clash against second seed Maria Kalyakina.
Akanksha Nitture, Prathyusha Rachapudi, Humera Baharmus, Paavanii Paathak, Laalitya Kalluri, Sonal Patil, Smriti Bhasin and Aakruti Sonkusare were the other Indians to make the second and final qualifying round.
– Team Sportstar
GOLF
Veer Ahlawat slips in third round in Kenya Open
Veer Ahlawat had a disastrous third round of 8-over 79 as he slipped to T-67 with one round to go in the Kenya Open.
The Indian rookie had a nightmarish 11 on the par-5 seventh besides four other bogeys against just two birdies for a 79.
His earlier rounds were 70 and 72.
Shubhankar Sharma had earlier missed the cut.
South African Jacques Kruyswijk moved into pole position as he bids for his first DP World Tour title. He had a stunning seven-under-par round of 64 that gave him a one-stroke lead.
The South African came home in five-under par at the Muthaiga Golf Club to lead England’s John Parry by one.
Parry added a one-over 72 to his opening two rounds of 63-65 as he goes in search of his second win of the 2025 Race to Dubai.
– PTI
POLO
Simran Shergill scored five goals to guide Jindal Panther to a 7-4 victory over Jindal Polo Estate in the final of the Gen. Sparrow Cup polo tournament at the Jaipur Polo ground on Sunday.
Simran was adjudged the “most valuable player”, and mare El Colica was declared the ‘best polo pony’.
The results (final):
Jindal Panther 7 (Simran Shergill 5, Mahesh Sharma, Krishna Inkiya) bt Jindal Polo Estate 4 (Siddhant Sharma 3, Venkatesh Jindal).
-Kamesh Srinivasan
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com