Manas, Shruti capture ITF Asia-Oceania junior tennis titles

Manas defeated compatriot Aryan Shah 7-6 (4), 6-4 to become, at 14 years and nine months, the youngest Indian to win the boys’ singles title at the prestigious event. Yuki Bhambri had won the title twice, first in 2007 at the age of 15 years and three months. Shruti, who finished runner-up at the same event here last year, came close to accomplishing a similar feat as she tamed Australia’s Lily Taylor 6-1, 6-4 to lift the girls’ trophy.

At 16 years and three months, she missed the feat by two months — Sania Mirza was 16 and one month old when she lifted the trophy in 2002 in Delhi. The Adkar sisters, Vaishnavi and Asmi, made it a memorable day for the local crowd by lifting the doubles trophy with a 4-6, 7-5, 11-9 victory over the Australian pairing of Lily Fairclough and Zara Larke in the summit clash. “I am very happy to have won it in my home city,” said Manas, still a Class IX student at Bishop’s (Camp) school.

The 300 ranking points from winning the title will catapult him to within or close to top-100 in world junior rankings. “These points will hold for one year, that is till October next year. So I will be able to play all the four Grand Slams in 2023,” said a beaming Manas, who was helped by travelling coach Max Phillip from the Piatti Tennis Academy in Italy.

For Shruti, who had already played the Wimbledon this year following her final appearance in the tournament in 2021, the win will see her move into the top-50. “I was generally not well the past two-three months. People have been critical of my performance.

This trophy is for them,” said the strong-willed teenager. “I didn’t want to say anything to them. I just wanted to let my racquet speak for me.” Hardly a point separated Manas and Aryan, who played