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GOLF
Diksha, Aditi begin with modest even par rounds
India’s Diksha Dagar and Aditi Ashok opened with a modest round of even par 71 each on the first day of The Amundi Evian Championship here.
The Indian duo, who are due to play four straight big events over the next four weeks, were tied for the 50th place, but well in line to make the cut post which the top 65 and ties will play the final two rounds.
South African Paula Reto fired an opening round of 64 (-7) to hold a two-shot advantage over four players Kiwi Lydia Ko, Thai Wichanee Meechai, Frenchwoman Celine Boutier and American Alison Lee, who all shot 5-under 66 each at the Evian Resort Golf Club at the event, which is a Major for women.
Of the two Indians, both of whom are in the top-5 of the Race to Costa Del Sol, the Order of Merit for the Ladies European Tour, Diksha was the first to start from the tenth tee along with Lauren Hartlage and Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg.
Diksha, winner of two LET events in South Africa and Czech Ladies in 2019 and 2023, alternated between bogey and birdies as she bogeyed 11th, birdied 12th and then bogeyed 16th only to get back the shot on 18th.
She again dropped a shot on first but birdied second and third and for the first time moved to under par. But on the fifth she again gave back the gains and ended even par.
Aditi, who has four wins on the LET since her opening one at home in the Women’s Indian Open in 2016, birdied third, 14th and 15th and dropped shots on second, sixth and 17th for a similar 71.
Reto, 33, began her day from the 10th tee and made a bogey on hole 11 but immediately bounced back with a birdie on 12. She rolled in a birdie on 15 before she really got into a rhythm with birdies on 18 and the first before three on the trot on holes five through seven.
The LPGA Tour winner finished with a flourish rolling in a birdie on her last hole for a back nine of 30 (-5) and to lead with a total of seven-under-par.
Nine players are one further shot back in a tie for sixth place on four-under-par, including Germany’s Esther Henseleit and Norway’s Celine Borge.
-PTI
ATHLETICS
Massive personal best for Kishore Jena in Colombo
Javelin thrower Kishore Kumar Jena
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Javelin thrower Kishore Kumar Jena
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Kishore Kumar Jena threw a personal best 84.38m as he won the men’s javelin throw title at the Sri Lankan National athletics championships in Colombo on Friday.
That places him in the 10 th spot in the javelin throw’s world list this year and on the second rung in Asia, behind Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra (88.67).
Jena, who took the silver at the recent Inter-State Nationals in Bhubaneswar with 82.87m, has improved his personal best by more than six metres in about nine months. His best till last year was 78.05m. The big throw could improve his chances of making the cut for next month’s World Championships in Budapest through the world rankings route.
Meanwhile, former Asian silver medallist Shivpal Singh was second with 77.36m in Colombo. In other events, Seema won the women’s 10,000m while S. Siva finished second in the men’s pole vault.
Jisna Mathew (54.89s), Soniya Baishya (54.10) and M.R. Poovamma (55.84) entered the women’s final after the heats.
– Stan Rayan
TENNIS
AITA Wheelchair Tournament: Mariappa reaches semifinals
Mariappan Durai beat Indra Pandey 9-6 in the quarterfinals of the Rs.200,000 AITA wheelchair tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex on Friday.
In the semifinals, Mariappan will play Shekar Veeraswamy. The other semifinal will be between top seed Karthik Karunakaran and Balachandar Subramanian.
In the women’s section, KP Shilpa set up a title clash against Prathima Rao.
RESULTS
Men (quarterfinals): Karthik Karunakaran bt S Sureshkumar 9-0; Balachandar Subramanian bt M Gabriel 9-3; Mariappan Durai bt Indra Pandey 9-6; Shekar Veeraswamy bt Sathasivam Kannupayan 9-1.
Women (semifinals): KP Shilpa bt A Ruthrajeswari 9-0; Prathima Rao bt Naina Kumari 9-2.
– Team Sportstar
AITA Women’s Tournament: Paavanii becomes champion
Paavanii Paathak beat Sejal Bhutada 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 in the final of the Rs.100,000 AITA women’s tennis tournament at The Dream House Academy in Vaishali Nagar on Friday.
Paavanii also made the doubles final in partnership with Renee Singh. The duo led 6-5 in the first set against Tanushree Pandey and Rituparna Choudhury when rain intervened.
RESULTS (FINAL)
Paavanii Paathak bt Sejal Bhutada 6-4, 5-7, 6-1;
Semifinals: Paavanii bt Sonal Patil 2-6, 6-1, 6-1; Sejal bt Kavya Khirwar 7-5, 6-4.
– Team Sportstar
AITA Juniors Super Series: Shanker, Sherry win singles titles
Shanker Heisnam beat second seed Arjun Rathi 6-3, 6-3 in the under-18 boys final of the AITA Super series junior tennis tournament at the CLTA Complex on Friday.
RESULTS (FINALS)
Under-18 boys: Shanker Heisnam bt Arjun Rathi 6-3, 6-3.
Under-18 girls: Sherry Sharma w.o. Isheeta Midha.
– Team Sportstar
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