Dilawar ITF Int’l Junior Tennis: Turkey’s Leyla bags girls’ title

ISLAMABAD: Leyla Nilufer Elmas (TUR) edged out hapless Ren Ke (CHN) in a three-set thriller to win girls singles title in the Dilawar Abbas Memorial ITF International Junior Tennis at the PTF Complex Thursday.

In what turned to be an exciting final, Elmas beat Ren 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-4 to deprive the Chinese girl yet another title. Last week Ren also lost the final against another Turkish girl Mina. Both girls broke each other serve in the first set as the score went 6-6. The set was then decided on a tie break which Leyla won 8-6 by hitting winner down the line.

In the second set quality tennis were witnessed and the score went up to 4-4 all as both the players held their respective serves. Top seed Ren won the second set at 6-4 by breaking last game of Leyla at 15-40.

The final set was marked with aces, long rallies and combination of back hand, forehand drives as score went up to 4-4. Leyla won the final set by breaking 9th game of Ren Ke and clinched the girls singles title following over two hours battle. Leyla Elmas (TUR) obtained 30 ITF World Ranking points whereas Ren Ke (CHN) got 18 points. Ayar Goklap (TUR)/ Mustafa Sancaklioglu (TUR) won the boys doubles title by eliminating Iustin Belea (ROU)/Qwyn Quittner (AUS) in straight sets with the score of 6-2, 6-3.

Top seed Muhammad Shoaib (Pakistan) and second seed Ayar Goklap (TUR) moved into the boys singles final by beating their respective opponents in straight sets. Shoaib won the first set 6-4 by breaking 9th game of Aryan Giri (NEP). He kept the same pressure in the second set and built up the winning 4-0 lead before wrapping up the set at 6-1. In the second semifinal Ayar Goklap (TUR) proved too good for Kerem Ozlale (TUR) and won in straight sets with the score of 6-3, 6-1.

Leyla Nilufer Elmas (TUR)/Mina Togdulkdmir (TUR) won the girls doubles title by beating Abhilasha Bista (NEP)/Neyara Weerawansa (SRI) in an exciting three set match. Neyla/Mina won the first set at 7-5 by breaking 11th game of Neyara. Bista/Neyara levelled the match by winning the second set at 6-2. In the final set, straight tie was played which was won by Leyla / Mina at 11-9 after saving three match points.

Salim Saifullah Khan, President Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), witnessed the girls doubles final and distributed the shields and trophies amongst the winner and runner-ups as majority of foreign players left back home.

Results: Boys singles semifinal: Muhammad Shaoib bt Aryan Giri (NEP) 6-4, 6-1; Gokalp Ayar (TUR) bt Kerem Ozlale (TUR) 6-3, 6-1

Girls singles final: Leyla Nilufer Elmas (TUR) bt Ren Ke (CHN) 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-4

Boys doubles final: Gokalp Ayar (TUR) / Mustafa Sancaklioglu (TUR) bt Iustin Belea (ROU) / Qwyn Quittner (AUS) 6-2, 6-3.

Girls doubles final: Leyla Nilufer Elmas (TUR)/Mina Toglukdemir (TUR) bt Abhilasha Bista (NEP)/Neyara Weerawansa (SRI) 7-5, 2-6, 11-9.