Staff Reporter
Panaji
Kyan Mavany held his nerve in a gripping boys U-14 final, edging past Arhan Gaunkar 4-3(3), 4-2 to clinch the title at the Bandodkar Panjim Gymkhana Tennis Open 2025, held at the Panjim Gymkhana courts in Goa’s capital.
In a high-pressure encounter played under the lights, Kyan soaked up the intensity and produced key points in clutch moments to overcome a spirited challenge from Arhan on a day packed with action across multiple age groups.
Earlier, the girls U-10 final delivered one of the closest finishes of the day. Samaira Patil showed nerves of steel, bouncing back from a set down to outlast Subhagya Manda 2-4, 4-1, 11-9 in a thrilling decider.
In the boys U-10 title clash, Devaansh Naik turned on the style with a dominant 4-0, 4-2 win over Arsh Sardesai, showcasing crisp shot-making and control throughout.
In the 55+ men’s doubles final, the experienced pair of Sanjay Lotlikar and David Mendonsa combined finesse and tactical nous to overcome Surjit Lamba and Caetano Fernandes 7-5, 6-2.
Meanwhile, Asuntha Fleming cruised into the ladies singles semi-finals with a 6-2 win over Tanya Shelyazhynska. She returned to the court later in the day with partner Nagesh Naik to post a 7-5, 6-2 win in the mixed doubles semi-finals against Raisa Menezes and Santosh Gorawar.
The other semi-final saw siblings Aishwarya and Siddharth Nunes defeat Tanya Shelyazhynska and Arup Angle 6-2, 7-5 to book their spot in the final.
In the men’s doubles draw, the pairing of Raju Kundaikar and Santosh Gorawar made a statement with back-to-back 6-0 wins—first over Naveen Daivajna and Neville Menezes in the pre-quarters, and then against Ganesh Vernekar and Bhalchandra Gaitonde in the quarters. Mano-Bulu, Arup-Sachin, and Nagesh-Siddharth also sealed semi-final spots with convincing wins.
