Sri Lanka girls’ team beat Singapore to qualify for next round in Thailand

Sri Lanka girls’ team consisting of Arushi Thomas, Dinara de Silva and Oneli Samarawickrama beat their Singaporean counterparts to qualify for the final qualifying round to be held in Thailand next month as they emerged group ‘B’ champions in the fourteen and under ITF World Junior Competition Asia/ Oceania Pre-Qualifying round continued at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association courts on Wednesday.

Alongside the hosts, Nepal and Iran teams qualified for the qualifying rounds to be held from March 21 to 26 in Thailand.

The three teams will now compete for the first, second and third places in the ongoing competition.

In the first singles match yesterday, Arushi Thomas beat Saina Jayesh Vaidya 6-1, 6-2. Dinara de Silva edged out N.G. Chanya 6-4, 6-1 in her singles match. In the doubles encounter, Arushi Thomas and Oneli Samarawickrama scored a 6-4, 6-1 win over Sophie Ashiey and Saina Jayesh Vaidya.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka boys’ team suffered defeat at the hands of Pakistan yesterday but the team consisting of Ganuka Fernando, Lithum Jayabandu and Baasith Carder will have an opportunity to make amends as they will compete in the quarter-final round.

They need to reach the final to qualify for the next qualifying round to be held in Thailand in March.

In the boys’ matches Pakistan’s Humza Roman beat Ganuka Fernando 6-4, 6-3 and Ahtesham Humayan beat Lithum Jayabandu 2-6, 6-4, 7-5. In the doubles, Muhammad Hussnain Ali Rizwan and Humza Roman beat Ganuka Fernando and Baasith Carder 6-3, 6-3.