Title win for Srinath

PUNE, OCT 30: Braving an injured foot, top seed Prahlad Srinath huffed and puffed but justified his billing while beating fifth seed Tom ...

PUNE, OCT 30: Braving an injured foot, top seed Prahlad Srinath huffed and puffed but justified his billing while beating fifth seed Tom Chicoine US 7-5, 6-4 in 105 minutes to lift the singles crown of the second leg ITF men8217;s Satellite tennis tournament today.

Srinath8217;s success on Pune8217;s Deccan Gymkhana court was befitting. The India No 3 is fond of practicing on these courts ahead of any major domestic tourneys. Srinath has now won two finals here the last being the Western India Gadgil in 1997 where he came back after a three-month study break for his final year graduation exams.

Srinath set a cracking pace from the outset. A break in the first game was followed by two more in the set in the 5th and 11th. Though he dropped serve in the second and 10th games, Srinath showed better control, pinning Chicoine onto the baseline to win the set in 55 minutes.

Chicoine struggled, saving five set-points two in the ninth game to hold serve for 5-4, and three in the 10th game as Srinath packed too manyguns for the American.

Srinath twisted his injured foot while attempting a backhand return in the fifth game with the score 2-2 and down 0-40. But he recovered to earn the crucial break in the ninth game to lead 5-4 before both players traded breaks in the seventh and eighth. The Indian made no mistake while serving for the match, pocketing the winner8217;s purse of Rs 34,000.

Kirtanes win doubles: Top seeds Kirtane cousins Nitin and Sandeep rallied back from 0-3 down in the first set to lift the doubles title with a 7-5, 6-4 verdict against qualifier Kunj Majmudar and Tom Chicoine. This is the sixth Satellite title that the Pune duo have won in the past one year, apart from figuring once each in the semi-finals and final of Future tournament in Egypt recently.

Results
Singles final: 1-Prahlad Srinath Ind, 312 bt 5-Tom Chicoine US, 500 7-5, 6-4.
Doubles final: 1-Nitin/Sandeep Kirtane Ind, 575 bt Tom Chicoine-Kunj Majmudar USA 7-5, 6-4.