NIKESH Singh Panthlia has reestablished himself as the best tennis player in Penang.
He retained his Penang Closed men's singles title after defeating former champion Muhammad Noor Noordin 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 at the Penang Sports Club Tennis Complex in Jalan Utama recently. After losing the first game to the former Penang No 1, Nikesh went on the offensive and never gave his opponent any opportunity to recover in the following two games.
Nikesh, the top seed, was the state champion between 2007-10 but had to play second fiddle to Muhammad Noor Noordin. Last year, in the absence of Muhammad Noor, Nikesh won the title by defeating Johnson Ooi Jing Wuu,
But Nikesh, 27, was denied a double when he and partner Mahesh Sivaramakrishnan pulled out of the doubles competition due to the former suffering a muscle pull.
In the men's doubles, 28-year-old Muhammad Noor, a former national player, and Jesril Jamel thrashed unseeded pair, Alvin Chew and Kelvin Khong 6-2, 6-2.
In the women's singles final, Loo Shi Pei created the biggest upset of the tournament when she toppled top seed Michelle Khoo Li Sha 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).
The three-day annual tournament featured seven categories: the Men's, Women's and Veterans singles and doubles, and the Open mixed doubles.
The competition, which offered RM2,600 in prize money, was hosted by the Penang Lawn Tennis Association (PLTA).
The uniqueness of the competition was that all the matches were played on grass courts, unlike the conventional hard courts in many places.
RESULTS: Men's singles semi-finals: Nikesh Singh Panthlia bt Mahesh Sivaramakrishnan 6-3, 6-0; Muhammad Noor Noordin bt Johnson Ooi Jing Wuu 6-1, 6-0. Final: Nikesh Singh Panthlia bt Muhammad Noor Noordin 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.
Losers' Pool semi-finals: Ahmad Aq'l Ahmad Nizam bt Brian Lee How Cheng 8-2; Neoh Khai Keat bt Chan Kai Lun 8-4. Final: Neoh Khai Keat bt Ahmad Aq'l Ahmad Nizam 6-2, 6-0
Women's singles semi-finals: Michelle Khoo Li Sha bt Chin Lih Jean 6-1, 6-0; Loo Shi Pei bt Cherylene Tan Sui Ling 6-2, 6-1. Final: Loo Shi Pei bt Michelle Khoo Li Sha 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).
Doubles semi-finals: Michelle Khoo Li Sha-Chin Lih Jean bt Kristi Ong Jun Ling-Joselyn Loh 6-1, 6-2; Karen Tang-Ngiam Li Siok 6-2, 6-2. Final: Michelle Khoo Li Sha-Chin Lih Jean bt Karen Tang-Ngiam Li Siok 6-0, 6-0. - www.nst.com.my
He retained his Penang Closed men's singles title after defeating former champion Muhammad Noor Noordin 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 at the Penang Sports Club Tennis Complex in Jalan Utama recently. After losing the first game to the former Penang No 1, Nikesh went on the offensive and never gave his opponent any opportunity to recover in the following two games.
Nikesh, the top seed, was the state champion between 2007-10 but had to play second fiddle to Muhammad Noor Noordin. Last year, in the absence of Muhammad Noor, Nikesh won the title by defeating Johnson Ooi Jing Wuu,
But Nikesh, 27, was denied a double when he and partner Mahesh Sivaramakrishnan pulled out of the doubles competition due to the former suffering a muscle pull.
In the men's doubles, 28-year-old Muhammad Noor, a former national player, and Jesril Jamel thrashed unseeded pair, Alvin Chew and Kelvin Khong 6-2, 6-2.
In the women's singles final, Loo Shi Pei created the biggest upset of the tournament when she toppled top seed Michelle Khoo Li Sha 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).
The three-day annual tournament featured seven categories: the Men's, Women's and Veterans singles and doubles, and the Open mixed doubles.
The competition, which offered RM2,600 in prize money, was hosted by the Penang Lawn Tennis Association (PLTA).
The uniqueness of the competition was that all the matches were played on grass courts, unlike the conventional hard courts in many places.
RESULTS: Men's singles semi-finals: Nikesh Singh Panthlia bt Mahesh Sivaramakrishnan 6-3, 6-0; Muhammad Noor Noordin bt Johnson Ooi Jing Wuu 6-1, 6-0. Final: Nikesh Singh Panthlia bt Muhammad Noor Noordin 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.
Losers' Pool semi-finals: Ahmad Aq'l Ahmad Nizam bt Brian Lee How Cheng 8-2; Neoh Khai Keat bt Chan Kai Lun 8-4. Final: Neoh Khai Keat bt Ahmad Aq'l Ahmad Nizam 6-2, 6-0
Women's singles semi-finals: Michelle Khoo Li Sha bt Chin Lih Jean 6-1, 6-0; Loo Shi Pei bt Cherylene Tan Sui Ling 6-2, 6-1. Final: Loo Shi Pei bt Michelle Khoo Li Sha 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).
Doubles semi-finals: Michelle Khoo Li Sha-Chin Lih Jean bt Kristi Ong Jun Ling-Joselyn Loh 6-1, 6-2; Karen Tang-Ngiam Li Siok 6-2, 6-2. Final: Michelle Khoo Li Sha-Chin Lih Jean bt Karen Tang-Ngiam Li Siok 6-0, 6-0. - www.nst.com.my
